To love a Senju and save an Uchiha
by Tobiramamara
Summary: Sakura is thrown back in time into the Warring State Era and she needs to prevent the Fourth Shinobi War. But before she knows what's happing she is sensed by a certain grey haired shinobi. Will she succeed or get awfully distracted? Please review... I am a beginner so all feedback is welcome.. thank you!
1. Chapter 1

1\. The eerie silence that hung in between the trees...

The eerie silence that hung in between the trees made her conscious of a constant peeping sound in her ears. After a while she felt cold ground beneath her body and she smelled leaves, earth and grass. The cold was seeping into her bones, numbing her. Around her, twilight fell. The coldness intensified, slowly descending from the tops of the trees. The humid air seemed to coax more smells from her surroundings. She smelled bamboo and a whiff of honeysuckle.

Time was of no consequence, she only existed within the moment, without a past or future. Her body felt heavy, like a rock pressing on the cold earth. While a part of her registered these sensory impressions emotionless, suddenly a part of her awoke and a slightly worried feeling nestled in her heart. Slowly her identity and purpose resurfaced into her consciousness. While becoming aware, she felt her body being broken. She tried moving her limbs with no success. She kept on trying. Slowly feeling came back but there was also pain. Her blood drenched clothing stuck to her skin, in places already dried up. She heard a soft crackling sound in the silence when she bend her arm. Sakura was for a while stuck in the moment, trying to move, slowly realising who she was. Then suddenly a thought struck her mind as if it were lightning. The battle!

The idea seemed to fuel her chakra level, although she knew that was not possible. In one movement, she shot up and looked around. Where was she! Where was the battlefield? Where was the noise of explosions, cries and weapons clattering? The smell of burned meat, fire, earth. She was in a peaceful forest and for the life of her, she couldn't remember how she got there! There was a black void in her mind that she could not penetrate. Then she remembered the battle against the Kaguya goddess. She was thrown with incredible force backwards by the goddess, who screamed something about time. She looked around. Time? Was she in another time? Could it even be possible?

She felt a strong chakra signature approaching. Fast. She stiffened. She was unfamiliar with her surroundings. There was no place to hide. Best to stay in the open and confront the person head on. Her own power was mostly based on taijutsu which worked best within arm range anyway. It was a gamble, but it was all she could think of in her weakened state at the moment. She noticed her heart rate increasing, while the chakra signature approached. Suddenly he was there, landing with a gracious jump crouching down on the ground before her, the grass moving violently by the replacement of air. He stood up gracefully and without effort and folded his arms over his chest.

She raised her face to meet his gaze. Blue armour and a white fur collar gave away his identity and she gasped. "Nidaime-sama!" She bowed immediately, shaking, trying to catch her breath and trying to still her heartbeat. How was this possible? How could the Nidaime Hokage be here? What trickery was this? Was it a clone? Edo Tensei?

And then the inevitable thought. Was she in the past?

She looked up at him again. His eyes were narrowed, his expression grave. Shit, she gave herself away with her reaction. They never officially met and now she displayed the fact that she did know him and respected him and acknowledged his status. How was she to explain this? She racked her brain about the Nidaime. He was very direct, stern and serious. He was responsible for almost the complete structural foundation of Konoha's powerbase: the Police Force, the Ninja Academy, the Hospital, Anbu, the Genin en Chuunin Examinations. He was a strong willed shinobi with a great love for his people and for Konoha. And he was seemingly devoid of emotion, constant vigilant and suspicious, always weary. He gave his life to save his team that included Danzo, head of Root en the Sandaime-Hokage. Great. She gave him in the very first minute of their encounter a good reason to be suspicious of her and she could not undo it.

Senju Tobirama assessed the kunoichi before him. There was no doubt she was a shinobi, her flak jacket gave her away, as well as her wounds that were obviously caused by weapons. Her hitai-ate said 'Shinobi Rengōgun', Allied Shinobi Forces. It was unlikely, but he was certain that this girl just exited a battlefield, her wounds were fresh, he could smell the blood. She was shaking lightly, but there were no signs of shock, she was battle hardened. He frowned while analyzing. She didn't belong here, there existed no Allied Shinobi Force and female kunoichi were as good as non-existing. There was no battlefield nearby that could have caused her wounds. There was just no way she could exist here at this moment. His brain raced, probing all options. She recognized him. She called him Second. How could that be? He was second to Hashirama in line. What knowledge did she poses?

Tobirama was a man of high intelligence. Quick to analyse situations and making fast decisions, only depending on hard evidence. Also he was a realist. There was no way he could fool himself from any truth. He always chose the hardest path to take, truth, even the unlikely truth. Ruling all the probable explanations out, he was left with the improbable ones. He realized this kunoichi did not belong in this place and this time. The more he looked at her, the more likely this theory seemed to be. Could that be possible? It was not a big leap of thought for a shinobi that was constantly developing space-time ninjutsu. The question was from where and when she came. He frowned.

She looked startled, he literally saw the wheels turning behind her eyes. If she indeed knew him, she must have realized by now, what his character was. She must realize how suspicious she would have made him with her reaction. He wondered what story she would invent to convince him that she was trustworthy. The chance that she would just blurt out the truth was not very likely. If she would have met a lesser shinobi, she would have been killed on the spot on suspicion of mental illness or just plain deception. What was the best cause of action? How could he make her prove his peculiar theory? Start with the basics.

"State our name, kunoichi." His voice was deep and rich, but the tone monotone and deadly serious.

Her mind worked frantically, searching for the best course of action. Honesty or deception? She doubted she could fool this legendary Hokage in any way. Maybe a half-truth would be best under the circumstances. She straightened her back. "Haruno Sakura, Senju-sama!" She figured it wouldn't matter if she used his name anyway. He knew. She saw he knew. And she wondered how much he knew.

"Haruno?" He frowned. First proof for his theory as far as he was concerned. There existed no Haruno-clan.

"Kunoichi, explain your hitai-ate and the non-existence of this clan in these lands"

She frowned. He was not beating around the bush! What to tell? "The Haruno clan consist of merchants, Senju-sama. We are not from here, but travel through these lands. Allied Shinobi Forces is a small band of masterless shinobi that I was part of and that protected our economic interests, but they were killed. I am the only survivor." She fell silent. It was a meagre lie. She waited with beating heart for his reaction because it would tell her the extent of his suspicions.

There was no sign of wavering suspicions. He kept on frowning, arms crossed. Then he sniffed the air, looking up suddenly. The faint light shone on his pale face, the facial tattoos clearly visible. It reminded her of the Inuzuka clan, sniffing the air like that made him look feral, like a fierce animal in pursuit of prey. His stoic expression did not falter and he sighed warily. His deep voice stated tonelessly: "Kunoichi, we will see about your statement. Night is falling. There is a secret shelter close by, five minutes. We will go there and tend to your wounds. Can you run?" She nodded silently.

He took off without warning, jumping from tree to tree. She followed as fast as she could but her body felt like it was made of stone. It took more than five minutes and she felt more dead than alive when he came to a halt by a small crack in a rock face. He went in, carefully, sideways. There was a small cave with one bed, draped with fur blankets, a small fire still going. There was a small pan next to the fire with some rice, already cooked. The temperature inside was comfortable, she sighed relieved. A wave of tiredness flooded her senses. She squatted down where she stood, leaning her back against the wall feeling dizzy.

He prodded around in the cave. A loud clang told her he had taken off his armour, carelessly throwing it on the ground. She faintly noticed he removed his happuri, revealing a more boyish and soft face. She dozed off for a small amount of time. She startled by a gentle tug on her shoulder, she instinctively grabbed for a kunai, but her pouch was missing. She must have slept longer than she realized.

A bowl of rice was held under her nose. She didn't realize her hunger until she smelled the food and started to wolf down the content of the bowl. Her hunger made the rice taste like nothing she ever ate before, fragrant, warm, sweet with a hint of salt. The warmth of it made her feel better. It spread from her belly throughout her limbs, causing the pain returning with a vengeance.

She looked at him. He was sitting next to the fire, eating rice, looking at her. His mouth hidden behind his bowl, he gestured towards two thick pieces of bamboo stuck in the hot coals. She carefully leaned forward, took one, opening the lid. She smelled green tea and carefully sipped from it while staring in the fire. She noticed a large kettle hanging above the fire, heating water.

When he was done eating and sipping his green tea. He spoke again, face expressionless. "Haruno-san. It may seem imprudent, but seeing your state, I will assist you with cleaning your body. It is important to clean the wounds before they infect." She nodded. He was right. She felt weak and tired and she had no chakra left to heal herself. Lifting her hands was difficult. Tending her wounds would have to wait until morning. So it was imperative that they would be cleaned before they closed up permanently during her sleep. She looked down at her clothing, clotted and stuck to her skin. He seemed to guess her thoughts: "Don't worry Haruno-san. There is a spare outfit in this shelter for emergencies. I think this is such an emergency."

He was looking at this strange kunoichi with interest. She was immensely tired, but didn't seem fazed by the idea of a stranger washing her. She seemed aware of the necessity of cleaning her wounds, giving it priority above her prudence. He wasn't used to female kunoichi or women keeping up with his speed while wounded. Her strange hair colour made her look exotic, although the colour was now lost in the yellow and golden light of the fire. She wasn't bothered by her wounds too much. She ran to this place for a full ten minutes without complaints and with a constant speed. Her chakra reserves were almost gone and still she had been keeping up with him. Her mental state was strong. She was indeed a battle hardened kunoichi, an alien concept to him.

After a while, he suddenly noticed her eyes becoming abnormally large, fixating on the fire. Her whole demeanour changed from a deep tiredness to a tense posture. She started shaking, a horrified expression on her face. She started to pant quickly, eyes seemingly looking at a confronting scene. She chanted softly in herself "No… no… no …no.." Then her eyes widened, she tensed up, then she stood up and she cried, fear evident in her voice: "Neji! Nooo!" Wailing, she hugged herself, moving back and forth, repeating the name over and over in herself.

He knew what this was, all warriors experienced it after traumatic events. She was reliving the events of the battle. He sighed. This was the reason he and his brother tried desperately for peace between the clans. War left scars. He stood up quickly and rested his hand on her shoulders, softly tugging at her. She seemed to snap out of her memories. Her eyes met his and realisation kicked in. She sunk to her knees. Only then tears started to leak out of her eyes, uncontrollably they fell down, trying to wash away the experience. He sunk through his knees until he was facing her, his face inches away from hers. She spoke, lips trembling: "Hyuuga Neji. I couldn't safe him. He died saving Naruto. He sacrificed himself but I couldn't safe him. All my training and I couldn't do it. Death took him…." She let the tears flow freely without shame.

"Sakura…. " under the circumstances, he naturally left off the honorific. "It wasn't your fault. You did well trying to save your comrades. But death is part of a shinobi's life. If he died in battle, it was an honourable death"

She grabbed his arms, holding him tightly staring into his red eyes wildly: "I can transform my cells in such a way that I can survive death. I was mortally wounded and survived because of my techniques. But I couldn't save him. I was too late. Why was I too late?" Her shoulders shook and she cried. Tobirama moved on instinct, pulling her close to his body while she mentally fell apart in his arms. They sat next to the fire, frozen in the moment. Tobirama was holding Sakura, her face buried in his neck. He held her frail body with his calloused hands, wondering about the battle that this small kunoichi had fought in. He held her until she calmed down and she came to her senses enough to blush about the intimate moment she was having with the legendary Nidaime Hokage. He seemed unfazed by the intimacy though, his face impassive. They were shinobi and as such, they shared an intimate and special bond that connected them even through time. Imprudent intimacy would not be tolerated in the civilian society and clan life that he was part of, but in a shinobi life gender boundaries were non-existing and these moments were accepted. As shinobi they were equals.


	2. Chapter 2

2\. " You need to strip." His deep voice rumbled...

"You need to strip." His deep voice rumbled through her body. Her blush intensified. He tried to reassure her: "Do not worry Haruno-san. I will not take advantage". The blush kept on staining her cheeks. He was suddenly worried that she had scars other than battle wounds and traumatic memories. But she just blushed, he could detect no fear.

She stood up shakily, tugging at her flak jacket. He stood up to get the kettle of water and some cloths. She tried to pry off her clothing, but large parts of blood soaked fabric was dried up and stuck to her skin. He took a cloth, soaking it with warm water and started to wet the dried patches making the crusts go soft. Then he took a kunai and cut through her shirt and bindings from the back. The rags fell to the ground. She felt air around her breast, making her feel vulnerable. The wounds stung immensely and started bleeding again. He started to wash her back, she felt rivulets of water pouring down her back and front, forming a pool around her feet. She hissed from time to time when he cleaned a particularly large gash. After he was done, she turned towards him and he washed her front without any indication of embarrassment about this intimacy. She blushed violently now. While noticing her embarrassment an involuntary thought entered his mind: she was beautiful, her blush complementing her pink hair and skin.

He tried to stay business like in his actions, washing her wounds. She must be hurting, but only an occasional hiss betrayed what she was feeling. She had a hardened body, all muscle and no body fat, very different from the soft bodies of the clan women. Scars were emerging from underneath the blood and dirt. He traced them involuntarily while washing. Then he stepped behind her again, using water and the kunai to strip her of her pants. He felt awkward suddenly, but reprimanded himself, cleaning her bottom and long legs with business like strokes. The wounds were less deep here. She turned around while he was still crouching. He tried not to look at her sex. And suddenly he felt a warm heat crawl up at his face. Stoically he proceeded, counting to ten in his mind and then it was done.

She noticed his blushing face. He looked handsome. Some part of her was vaguely flattered that she could make him blush with her body, but it felt strange and forbidden. He was like a father to the village and villagers and that is how she always had perceived his presence in the rocks above Konoha. He was one of the fathers of the village even though now he was hardly ten years her senior. His expression stayed emotionless despite the blush. "My apologies Haruno-San, if I have made you feel uncomfortable. The wounds are clean now. Your hair?" She nodded, amazed at the strange situation that she was in. She bent over the kettle dipping her hair in and she felt his hands massaging her skull, rinsing the blood out of her hair. Afterwards he dried her hair with another cloth. She felt exhausted. Her limbs weighed tons and she couldn't even lift her arms.

He started covering up the deepest wounds with fresh white cloth. His hands touching her skin now and then, causing goose bumps on her skin. While everything was neatly covered he helped her get into the spare clothing. She looked better, but exhausted. Before she could collapse, he picked her up without effort and carried her towards the bed, he sat down on the side. "I need your permission to share body warmth tonight. It will get cold and you need to be warm to heal and replenish your chakra. Do I have your permission?" She nodded silently. She felt him slide next to her. He hesitated, then slipped his arm underneath her neck, pulling her head onto his shoulder. He felt strangely comfortable, holding her small body, feeling her relax against him. Her hair smelled vaguely sweet, though the blood and dirt still was there. He had washed out wounds and warmed comrades in cold nights before, but never a woman. He tried to be indifferent about it, but had to admit to himself that he found her enticing, beautiful and mysterious. Sakura, cherry blossom. What surprised him the most was that he was lying here unarmed, relaxing with her in his arms. He didn't know the first thing about her. She could murder him in his sleep. But strangely he did not care right this moment. He felt at peace and he drifted off into a black velvety sleep. His nose buried in her hair.

She was restless part of the night. Reliving memories of the war. He held her. It was the only thing he could do.

He woke up first to a golden light illuminating the cave. The cold made their breath visible. Cursing that he needed to leave the warmth of the bed, he got up nevertheless prying the kunoichi from his body. She kept on sleeping peacefully.

He made the fire. Cooked food and then woke her up. She looked up at him, squinting. "Eat." She nodded, eating silently. Her legs dangling over the edge of the bed. Then she carefully put down her bowl and looked at him. "I have enough chakra now to heal some of my wounds." She hesitated when he looked surprised. "I am a medic ninja" she said simply. He watched her, fascinated, when her fingers glowed a soft green. She healed her wounds. He never saw anyone heal wounds so fast and so complete. He was impressed. And it seemed another bit of proof of his theory about her.

When they ate the leftover rice and had some tea Tobirama cleared up the cave and put the fire out. He put on his armour, trying to close the bands under his arms. It was a slow process. "Here, let me", she spoke softly. He looked up and grunted approvingly. With quick lean hands she attached his armour. He fastened his happuri and when she looked up, she saw the man of the rocks again, the Nidaime Hokage.

"Haruno-san. We will travel to the Senju compound to meet my brother."

She paled and turned away from him to hide her reaction. But she wasn't quick enough. Tobirama spoke then: "Haruno-san, I can see my brother is familiar to you. Please tell me why that is?"

When she opened her mouth he warned her: "Be careful kunoichi. I have my own theory about who en what you are and why you are here. Please make sure to not underestimate me and be a servant of the truth. It will serve you better than dishonesty."

She looked at him. His stern face, devoid of emotion, his red eyes, handsome face. He stood there facing her, his arms crossed. She saw something flicker in his eyes. After last night's events she desperately wanted to see him as an ally or friend. She did not want to break his trust, if he trusted her in the first place. She needed an ally in this world.

"Senju-sama… please give me some time to think…" He narrowed his eyes, and nodded curtly. "Do not get any idea's, I will be watching you."

He went out of the cave and she followed him swiftly. He disappeared in the forest around the cave entrance. She squinted against the bright sunlight. Felt the rays warm her face. She sighed and sat down in the tall grass, her back leaning against the cold rock.

Her mind was racing. What would she do? What should she do? It was unlikely that she would be going home any time soon. If Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi defeated Kaguya, there was no way they would be able to bring her back….Tears started to burn in her eyes. A gulf of despair washed over her. She was lost, she would never see her friends again. She was lost in the past and Konoha didn't even exist yet! Never again eating ramen with Naruto, never scolding Kakashi about his porn, never training with Tsunade, never would her eyes meet those of Sasuke again. Tears ran over her cheeks, her shoulders hunching. For a while she let the grief wash over her. It felt like a wave crashing over her. She could only stay still, frozen in the chaos of her emotions.

After a while the sadness faded away, making place for determination. She had to accept reality. She was not in an alien territory. She was in the care of the Nidaime Hokage and he was the founder of all that she was brought up with during her life. Somehow there was a link between them. He was Tsunade's great uncle. He was Hokage of the village. She was his subordinate, even if she was from the future. He was not her enemy! She needed to defeat the enemy, or at least try. No matter the distance! She had to change time itself…..

The idea froze her for a while. The implications running through her mind. She let the thought sink in, analysing all possible outcomes. What she needed, was a second opinion. She smiled, how convenient to have Lord Second in the vicinity. How would she convince him? She would have to be honest. She already knew he was suspicious of her, and that suspicion would not go away until she told the truth, he would recognize the truth, right? She hoped he would instead of killing her on the spot.

"Nidaima-sama!"

After a few moments he strode out of the forest. She blinked. He looked so impressive, his movements fluid, the fur collar and happuri giving him a majestic aura. His features handsome, the facial tattoos complementing his red eyes. He stopped before her. He noticed she looked nervous.

"Please Haruno-san. Do not be nervous. Let us sit down."

The sun was still shining, warming their bodies. The grass smelled sweet. Tobirama sank down and sat on his knees, putting his hands on his thighs. He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his face. Then he focussed on the nervous girl before him. She somehow recollected her calm, sighed deeply and spoke.

"Nidaime-sama. My name is Haruno Sakura, jounin level shinobi, part of team seven, medically skilled, apprentice of your grandniece Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure. I am lost in the past. I was battling in a Shinobi war and was cast backwards in time against my will by the enemy, the Kaguya goddess. I am unable to return home. Please accept my servitude to the Senju-clan and future village of Konoha."

She noticed how emotional these words made her. She felt her eyes stinging. A single tear escaped her eyes and it made her angry. She felt vulnerable, lost and alone. She looked at her hands, trying to control her emotions.

It was a while before Tobirama spoke. He was deep in thought. It was as he suspected. So Hashirama's dream became reality after all! The girl was emotional. She was avoiding his gaze. He was grateful she told him the truth. And he believed her without a doubt, but more proof was needed to be absolutely certain.

" I want to believe you, however, your tale is unlikely. If you are speaking the truth can you offer proof?"

Her mind raced, he hadn't dismissed the idea altogether! She wracked her brain for information on the two brothers. What information did she have that wasn't generally known or could be found out by a spy?

"I know that you lost your two little brothers to this dreadful war with the Uchiha, Kawarama and Itama. I know that your brother secretly befriended Uchiha Madara and that your father decided to ambush him. It came to a confrontation between the Uchiha and Senju, but Madara en Hashirama put a stop to the fight. They became enemies after that. You and your brother share a dream of a shinobi system where children do not need to fight in wars. An alliance with the Uchiha is needed, but the alliance is still not accomplished. Your life philosophy is the Will of Fire. You are a formidable shinobi, water user and inventor of the Yin and Yang Release, Summoning Techniques, Barrier Ninjutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, Flying Thunder God Technique Hiraishin, Tandem Explosive Tags and Edo Tensei. And you have the best sensory skills of all. That must have been how you detected me in the first place."

He was surprised and a bit shocked. He fell silent. The information about their brothers and encounter with Madara she could have collected through spies. But the information about his skills, some of those jutsu he was working on, nobody knew about them, not even his brother! So it was really true….

"Haruno-san, your story rings of truth." He waited to let his words sink in. As he suspected, she let the tears run freely. She must have been scared for his reaction. Uncharacteristically he lifted his hand toward her face and lifted her chin up. "Sakura-san, do not fear or be sad. You will be most welcome in the Senju-clan. I will introduce you to my brother, we will make a home for you there and find out a solution for your predicament. And please, call me Tobirama-san. Nidaima-sama makes me feel old and awkward. I have not yet earned such honorific." He was silent for a moment and then asked: "Can you tell me how you ended up in my time?"

"Yes, I was fighting in the Fourth Shinobi War. That is why I was wounded, although most of the blood was of my comrades. Our enemy turned out to be the Kaguya goddess. In a chaotic moment of the battle she somehow threw me backwards. I felt myself flying through the air, until all went black. Apparently I landed into the past. My friends are still fighting there…. I hope they are alright…." He interrupted her immediately.

"Do not pain yourself with such thoughts. They are not fighting there. They do not exist yet."

She blinked. He was right. But it didn't feel like that in her heart.

"The war was headed towards the end of the world, Tobirama-san. The moment that I was cast into the past was a desperate moment. In the end it seemed that even Naruto and Sasuke, my teammates were no match for her powers. The events that lead to this war are rooted in this time. I wonder if we can alter the future to prevent this war and consequently the ending of this world. But I am very wary that by disclosing information to you, history will change for the worst. What should I do? How should I proceed? I just cannot stay passive in this matter." She was rattling. He vaguely realised she was apparently part of a team that was powerful enough to fight the biggest threat they ever faced. What did that say about her power?

"Sakura-san, I understand your doubts and resolutions. This however, is no place to discuss them. We are in enemy territory. Let us discuss the matter with Hashirama. There are only two possibilities, either you tell us everything or nothing. Are you fit enough to travel to the Senju compound? It is a two day travel without injuries."

"I think so. I have to! If we can have some breaks when needed."

"Agreed." He pushed himself to standing. He held out his hand to her, a small curl in the corner of his mouth betraying his mood. She took it, noticing the callousness and warmth of his hand. He pulled her to her feet. "Do not worry kunoichi. All will be well. If you are stuck here. I will do all within my power to help you find your way." She felt warmth hitting her cheeks instantly, warmth and happiness. And then he took off into the trees. Silently cursing his speed, she followed suit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry guys, had some trouble with the text being scribbly. Hopefully this works. Thanks for all your reviews, it helps polishing this story into something nice! Keep them coming!**

3\. The sun was descending towards the horizon…..

The sun was descending towards the horizon when Tobirama finally made a stop. She had not asked for a break yet, but he could see her face getting an ashen quality that he dared not intensify. So they halted and they sat silently in a patch of tall grass surrounded by an airy forest. He took something from his pouch, handing it to her. It seemed some kind of energy food. She gladly took it and ate silently. He handed her some water as well.

"Your chakra levels are rising. We will make a small fire here and sleep. I will keep watch." She nodded, getting up to gather wood.

When the fire was made, Tobirama went into the woods without a word. After a considerable amount of time he returned with two dead rabbits tied together at the feet and flung over his shoulder. He started cleaning them with his kunai and soon enough the smell of roast rabbit tickled her nose pleasantly. While the meat cooked, they sat up traps, dug a small latrine and made a cover to sleep under.

He remained stoic in his expression and short in his answers, and sometimes just downright non-communicative. Still she felt at ease with him. They worked around each other effortlessly, as if they had a routine that was based on years of experience. She realized that her shinobi training was initialized by the Nidaime Hokage. It seemed just natural that the way she was taught how to make camp was similar to the way the Nidaime was making camp right now. Since her arrival she felt out of place in this world, but despite being raised in a completely different time, Tobirama felt close to home. Their worlds were not so different from each other, somehow he stood at the very foundation of her upbringing. This was probably what made her feel strangely at ease with this man during this short period of time.

After eating the rabbit, they relaxed next to the fire. He stared into it, the flames shimmering in his happuri, the colour of his eyes enhanced by the fire.

"Tobirama-san… how far is it still?" It felt weird using his first name like that. Like being disrespectful to your grandfather. But he most definitely did not look as a grandfather. She felt that dreadful heat rise to her cheeks again.

"Another days travel. You are quick, despite your injured body." He looked at her. _She was damned quick. He was surprised by their progress and her stoic determination._ Her cheeks were rosy from the fire.

"How big are the chances that we will be attacked by enemies?"

"Moderately big, we are travelling very close to Uchiha lands now. We might be caught by a patrolling squad. Fortunately I can sense them pretty well and far in advance. Hopefully we do not encounter trouble." He prodded the fire with a stick, small flints of fire swirling upwards to the starry sky.

She was shocked. What a strange era, this Warring States era. What a waste of time and shinobi. _How could they not see that cooperation would save them all this death and pain?_ She had to bite her tongue, not to inform after the peace treaty with the Uchiha. She couldn't change history until she discussed the matter with Tobirama and his brother. She sighed.

He mistook her sigh for another emotion and he looked at her sharply: "Sakura-san, are you ok?".

"Yes, I'm ok. I feel strange though. I am sharing a fire with one of my village's legends. It is strange to suddenly take part in the history of my village. And it is nothing like the books. I find you a human being instead of a superhero." She smiled softly. He looked mildly surprised and then chuckled with his low voice: "Nor do I feel a hero! I am a man of flesh and blood. I am learning every day to be a shinobi and how to survive. My accomplishments are nothing but blood and death up till now." he grew grim, squaring his shoulders and then added softly: "But I want that to change, I am tired of bloodshed. I want to start building instead of destroying." He kept staring in the fire, lost in his own thoughts looking grim.

"I grew up in a world that you helped building, a world where children do not need to die. Your wish will come true….", she said it softly, it felt wrong to disclose that information before they talked with the Shodaime Hokage, but she had the urge to lift his spirits to comfort him.

He looked up then, his red eyes trying to read her face. Whatever he saw made him relax. He softly muttered: "Thank you for your kind words Sakura-san. That is …. comforting. The notion that this suffering is not in vain."

He smiled then, and she felt butterflies flutter in the depth of her stomach. He was handsome when he smiled, his sharp angular face and his slanted eyes gave him an exotic regal beauty. She noticed she held her breath and could not speak for a while. She felt the slow heat rising to her cheeks again. Thank god for the glow of the fire!

He stood up to rummage through the bushes, securing traps. Her eyes followed him hungrily. He walked with lethal grace, like a panther or lion. She could not help staring at his lean muscular body, she cursed herself, but her eyes stayed glued on him. She must have spaced out. She was startled by his low rumble next to her: "Like what you see, kunoichi?" She cursed again, turning beet red. He smirked, his deep eyes sparkling. There was something beneath his tease. He seemed amused, but also …. pleased at her apparent fascination with him.

He sat beneath the fire his back comfortably against a log, arms crossed over his chest. "Get some sleep kunoichi".

She curled up next to the fire. She was cold, but she would sleep anyway, she was used to sleeping without blankets or extra clothing. She still felt flustered, but after a while her heart rate slowed and she fell her eyes grow heavy. Then nothingness.

Suddenly she heard screaming. She opened her eyes. She had woken up on the battlefield! In the distance she saw Neji protecting Naruto. She immediately became focussed on the Hyuuga, all sound abruptly gone. She started running, but her shoes were stuck in some kind of sticky substance. She panicked: "Neji! Noooo!"

She saw the spears searing down, too many to count and with sickening thuds they pierced his flesh. She was too late! She almost felt the life slip from his body, she screamed and wailed. And then suddenly there was anger, hot familiar anger, comforting her. She felt her chakra surging through her arm and hand and wanted to pound the earth. A voice seemed to emerge from the anger: "Sakura! Sakura!"

The scene before her crumbled and she became conscious. She was screaming, Tobirama held her, holding her arm with all his might. It took al his strength to hold her and not let her hit the ground with her chakra infused fist. "Sakura! Kuso! Wake up! It was a dream!" She startled and let her chakra go, panting and then started crying softly. He relaxed immediately. Just holding her trembling body, caressing her back, murmuring soothing words in the nape of her neck. "It is over, calm down. It is not your fault Neji died. It was not your fault. He died an honorable death as a shinobi. Calm down Sakura." She cried in his arms and let the grief take her for the moment she had no defenses left and felt limb.

After a while she looked up at him: "Will these.. episodes… go away?" He looked down at her, his faces inches from her. "No, Sakura, they are an intricate part of a shinobi life. But reliving your memories is a way of making them less painful. I can teach you some meditation techniques to aid the process. Eventually they will become more distant, the acute pain fading. You will have more control over them. Just don't be scared..." She cuddled further into his chest and murmured: "It is so strange that I have this episode about Neji. He was not in my team, I barely knew him. Far worse things happened to Naruto and Sasuke…"

"We do not get to choose a memory that haunts us Sakura. But to be honest, I think it has to do with the core of your existence." She frowned up at him. "What do you mean?"

"You are a medical kunoichi. You are trained to save people by healing them. Someone dying on your watch, however distant he may be in terms of personal contact, is a personal failure for you because you are trained to heal people. It feels like failing in your life's purpose and you feel guilty because you healed yourself but could not heal him."

"Yes…. I guess you are right..." She felt the tears coming again and she let them. He held her, slowly stroking her back and hair. He was so warm and his presence comforting. After a while she felt herself dozing off. The last thing she noticed was that he leaned back on the log, letting her rest on his chest and body. She felt safe and at peace.

While her breathing slowed down he was sensing the surroundings and thinking about her. She was such a strange girl. Everything about her screamed that she was out of place, but the way she made camp, the way she followed him cautiously through the forests confirmed her shinobi training. He had a strong feeling of recognition. She acted often just like himself and he suspected that it was a natural effect of Hashirama's en his own influence on the village that they wanted to build. She was acted strange but familiar at the same time.

He smirked thinking about her eyes following him around the campfire. She felt some kind of attraction, it was obvious. When he was honest with himself, he must admit that he felt the same attraction to her. She was beautiful and smart. Her pink hair and green eyes made her look exotic.

Her trauma was severe though. He was glad he was on time stopping that fist. He did not know what her shinobi powers were, but he had a bad feeling about the outcome if he would not be around. However improper it may be, she would have to sleep in his chambers when they arrived in the Senju camp. If she slept alone, she might destroy it in her sleep. He would talk to Hashirama about it. He sighed, the gossip within the clan would be enormous.

When sunlight touched her sleeping form, she woke peacefully. She welcomed the warm rays of light and then realized she was sitting with her back against the Nidaime! She tried to sit up quickly, but his arms were locked tight around her, holding her into place. "Shhhhh,…. ". She turned to look at his face, inches from hers. His face expressionless he said:"You feel nice and warm. Just enjoy the sun for a little while longer…". She lay her head back, secretly liking the idea very much. And he just couldn't help himself. He just felt comfortable.

After a while he sighed. "Ok, let's get up." She sat up. She looked at his red eyes. He looked up at her while standing. He looked serious when he was at eye level. "Sakura-san. I think that sleeping close to me makes you more relaxed and keeps the bad memories at bay. I do not know the extend of your shinobi power, but it was potentially a dangerous situation last night. I was glad I was on time to stop you. I will not let the Senju compound or its people get hurt because of your nightly terrors, intentional or not. So you will sleep with me for a few weeks until the memories are not as vivid. Do you agree?"

She nodded silently.

"Good. It will be done so." He hesitated, then smirked: "Then you don't have to oggle my body from a distance any more." He quickly stood up and took off in the bushes, chuckling softly. She was utterly shocked, her mouth agape. This was NOT happening! This was the Nidaime Hokage for kami's sake! Did he just make a flirtatious remark? She had a feeling that her scarlet face would stay that colour for the remainder of the day. What was she getting herself into?

They arrived without incidents at the Senju Compound during nightfall. Fires were lit. Tobirama walked towards the guarded gates with an elegant regal stride. The guards nodded as they walked through the gates silently. It was a large traditional set of houses, guards everywhere. People wore traditional clothing, she saw occasionally a man or woman dressed in yukata. She smelled woodfire, caught a glimpse of a vegetable garden and noticed an intimate garden to enjoy privately. She smelled animals, it was like a small village, all that was needed was within the safe walls of the compound. They stopped in front of the largest house. Tobirama took off his sandals and stepped on the engawa. She followed his example and followed him walking softly over the engawa until he opened sliding doors. They walked through corridors and then they stood in the office of the Shodai Hokage. She looked at him and immediately looked down. She felt the blood drain out of her face. _The Shodai Hokage! This was really him! The God of Shinobi!_ She trembled and then bowed deeply "Shodai-sama..eh... Senju-sama…." she was stammering.

Hashirama looked astonished, but regained his composure, stood quickly and welcomed her with a wide grin. What he said did not fit his status at all: "Ah! Finally my little brother takes a girl home!" Sakura blinked. _What did he say?_

Tobirama spat at him: "Watch it! Elder Brother! You are getting on my nerves already!"

Hashirama laughed with all his might. Sukura almost felt the shoji panels shuddering. She still felt just completely paralyzed by the presence of this Shinobi God and she didn't know what to say. Fortunately for her, the two brothers continued to bicker about manners and irritations, when finally Tobirama crossed his arms, huffed and started to be very interested in a distant corner of the room, while Hashirama bowed to Sakura, welcoming her, smiling from ear to ear. Her nervousness lightened by his informal attitude and she thanked him.

"Please, you are welcome under my roof. I will send a meal for the three of us, and then you can tell me about yourself."

"Please Senju-sama, my name is Haruno Sakura. And you are very kind."

An elderly lady came into the room soundlessly. "Baachan, please, take Haruno-san to refresh herself and get her new clothing if she wishes."

Sakura bowed to Hashirama and followed the old lady further into the house. They came to a bathing area. There were tubs with hot water, the tile floor was warm under her bare feet. She gladly took her clothes off and let herself sink into the warm water. She felt her body relax completely. She stared at the old beams of the house above her, shiny from treatment with sesame oil. The old woman did not talk, but smiled sweetly at her. She took a brush and started to brush her hair with soft hands. "Such nice hair, Haruno-san. A pretty colour!"

"Please baachan, my name is Sakura"

"Ne, Sakura? How suitable. Very well Sakura-chan." The old woman chuckled and then she stood up puffing until she stood straight. "Sakura-chan, I will fetch you some clothes now. Please, here is soap."

When Sakura was clean, the old lady slowly entered the room again with a willowgreen yukata in her arms. She took it from her: "Bachan, this is civilian clothing."

"Yes dear, it would be improper for you to be dressed in shinobi clothing, ne?"

She let the issue go. She felt strange and awkward in the yukata. It complemented her hair and eyes, but if felt a lifetime ago to wear something so feminine like this.

The old lady brought her to another room, where Hashirama and Tobirama sat around a low table on the ground, softly talking with each other in hurried voices, small sake bowls in their hands. They looked up when she entered. Hashirama looked pleased, smiled and got to his feet to bid her welcome. Tobirama however, just seemed shocked to see her, his eyes wide and his cheeks were slowly turning a rosy colour. Sakura noticed and decided to tease him a bit. She smiled and winked at him. When he finally got up to welcome her, she said softly: "Like what you see?" He turned beet red immediately.

Hashirama stood rooted to the spot, looking at their interaction. Instead of his thundering laugh, he had his eyes narrowed and looked serious.

They sat down to eat. There was white rice, some pickles, cooked eggs and bitter greens. Dried bonito and soy for seasoning. She ate like she hadn't eaten in days. It all tasted so good! She noticed Tobirama eating with the same eagerness. Hashirama just sipped his sake. When they were satisfied, he spoke, ending their silence: "Haruno-san, my brother reported to me. And though I am pleased that you are the living proof that our wish will come true in the near future, I am troubled about your presence here and the effect that it will have on that same future."

"Hai, Shodaime-sama." she felt nervous again. It was impossible to not feel impressed sitting with the two of them. And now they would debrief her. She was afraid that they would read her like a book. Hashirama continued.

"So I feel we first have to make a choice Haruno-san. We must search our hearts and be honest about what we find there. Are we strong enough emotionally to let history run its course, even if we have knowledge of the future? Because if we want to change the outcome of this Fourth Shinobi War, it is necessary to know everything that has passed between this moment and the future. But we should only try to change parts that are absolutely necessary. Some tragedies will have to take place. That is knowledge and pain that we must bare. And we need to search our hearts if we can do that." He fell silent and looked at the two of them. "Brother, are you capable of said capability? Can you watch tragedy from the sidelines and not be able to act?"

Tobirama fell silent, deep in thought: "Niisan, I can only withhold myself from acting if the reasoning behind it is sound. For it to be sound, I think we need to hear the whole story of Sakura-san, so that the three of us can see through all cause and effect situations and decide together."

Hashirama nodded. "I feel the same, brother. So be it."

They both looked at Sakura expectantly and she felt as if everything in the room was holding its breath. She started talking with shaking voice. She told them everything she knew about the end of the Warring State Era. The two brothers listened intently, sometimes interrupting to ask her questions, sometimes they were just perplexed or shocked even. Tobirama looked shaken at the death of Izuna by his hands but more so the effects of his deed through time. Hashirama was amazed at the outcome of the last battle between him and Madara. He felt exposed at Sakura's knowledge of his secret techniques. But he was levelheaded enough to value this as evidence that she was indeed telling the truth. Nobody knew about some of the techniques, not even his brother.

Tobirama was getting more and more grim while she unfolded the history of the Uchiha clan, the extinction by Uchiha Itachi's hands on orders of the Hokage, the Akatsuki, Obito's story and in the end Madara. Hashirama was very enthusiastic about the development of Konoha, but the fate of the Uchiha clan by Itachi's hands, troubled him. Tobirama saw in it a confirmation of his suspicions of the Uchiha clan. She knew that his never fully trusted them, even in his own days as Hokage.

When she finally ended her story, she felt completely drained. She managed to ignore their deaths, but she felt that her attempts were as seethrough as water for the both of them. They didn't ask for this missing information. They probably suspected this was knowledge that they would not benefit from.

A deep silence followed. She felt emotional, tears trying to leave her eyes. What if they didn't believe her? The thought plagued her still, even after Tobirama's firm assurance that he believed her. But Hashirama was not his brother. She watched him intently, waiting for him to speak.

"I believe your story Sakura. The things you told us seem to have a certain logic and you have intel on my techniques that even my brother is lacking." Tobirama blinked.

He continued: "I think I can speak for the both of us that it is very unnerving to hear the effects of our actions on the long run, even though we had good intentions." He sighed. "I think we need some time to process this."

"Agreed brother." Tobirama stood up, Sakura followed his example.

"Please Sakura-san, sleep in peace, no harm will come to you under my roof. Thank you very much for your story and patience with us, it is much appreciated." He smiled.

She followed Tobirama into another part of the building. He led her into his personal quarters that looked very spartan. A small low table stood in front of a pair of sliding doors that were opened and showed an engawa facing a beautiful small green garden. The room was covered with tatami mats, with enough room to do basic training. There was a large cupboard with sliding doors that showed shinobi clothing, weapons, and supplies for maintenance of weapons. She saw a double fuuton already laid down on the floor of another room. Also next to another pair of sliding doors, an insect net hanging from the ceiling, surrounding it.

Closing the sliding doors to the corridor, Tobirama muttered: "It is not much, but please make yourself at home. This will be our shared space for some time." She nodded, walking towards the weapons cupboard eying his supplies. He took his happuri of and hung it on an apparently custom made support on the wall. Then he was struggling with his harness again. "Here, let me". She closed the distance between them and tried to unfold the straps. She cursed softly, there was a tight knot. "Lift your arm".

She tried again and succeeding, carefully taking off his armour off, careful not to touch him unnecessary. His smell invaded her senses and she felt the warmth radiating off his body. Her knees trembled a bit. Oh kami, he was so incredibly attractive! The familiar warmth in her cheeks started again, she fled his presence.

She sat at the engawa to watch the garden and the starry night. Her mind was reeling of past events. _Did she make the right call? Was this information in good hands? She was impressed by their god-like status, but in the end they were just men. And they could make mistakes… then again, so could she._

After a while he sat with her, eying her with some concern. Did she have another episode? "Sakura-san… do you feel alright?"

"Yes, it is just that we cannot go back now. We have to deal with the information that I shared with you. I wonder what will happen. If we learned anything tonight, it is that the effects of our actions can surprise us in a bad way."

"Do not let it trouble you. We will figure out a plan tomorrow. For now, let's try to get some sleep."

She nodded. Then looked at her yukata. "Do you have a shirt or something? I don't want to sleep in this beautiful dress."

"Feel free to check my closet for something that suits you."

She walked towards the cupboard, feeling the roughness of the tatami under her feet. She took out a black shirt with black shinobi pants. It felt familiar to wear shinobi clothing. She felt more at home in these clothes. He seemed to notice her mood change. "Are you not used to wearing a dress?"

She laughed: "In my time a yukata is very old fashioned, we only wear them at special occasions. Let's say I am not used to dress in a yukata. At home I normally wear my personal shinobi outfit or the village's shinobi outfit in which I arrived. I have been fighting for a long time. I cannot remember when I wore civilian clothing, or a dress last."

"I see. It must feel like home to wear shinobi clothing here. I will try to find you something that fits tomorrow."

She smiled:"That would be nice…"

"The yukata looked nice though", he added cheeky. The effects of his words were the same as all the other times. She turned a beautiful shade of red. He chuckled. She stomped his shoulder.

"Come kunoichi, we must sleep now. We had an exhausting few days." He went to the fuuton, keeping away the insect nets to help her and then he laid down. He looked at her, padded the spot next to him with his hand. She laid down carefully avoiding his arms, lying as far to the side as possible. He looked at her from the side, serious. "Come Sakura-san, I told you that I would not let you accidently harm my people while having one of those episodes. You will sleep better next to me. I will not take advantage you know that." He tucked his arm underneath her neck and pulled her close. "This way I will be certain you will not change this house into a crater when you have memories haunting you this night."

She felt his warmth and smelled his body, strong and male. In wonderment she realised she only knew him for three days, but he felt familiar and he made her feel so relaxed. He felt like the only tiny piece of home available in this past. So she gave in, snuggling close to his warmth and let herself slip away into a peaceful sleep.

She woke up in a cocoon of warmth. She heard birds and felt sunlight around her. She opened her eyes and slowly took in her surroundings. She was lying with her head on Tobirama's arm. He was still sleeping, face relaxed and breath even. His grim features were relaxed and he looked more like a boy again. He had not been sleeping the past two days. So it was natural that he was still out.

She looked at his face mesmerized. His hair looked like a haystack. It was a curious colour grey that reminded her of Kakashi-sensei. The tattoos on his face, from close by they didn't look like tattoos at all. It seemed to be some natural pigmentation of his face. How odd. She acted on impulse and traced the line on his cheek with her finger, wondering about it. He caught her wrist suddenly, staring at her with his red eyes. She suddenly was very aware of their close proximity and also his typical male morning issue pressing against her legs. Blushing, she cursed internally, and jumped up and out of bed.

He followed her with his eyes. What a predicament! He was not sure where this attraction between them would lead to. It was strange that he formed this state of trust and easiness with her in such a short time. He was not a casual man. His social skills were non-existing, mainly focussed on keeping the clan alive. He didn't talk about his feelings or personality, he grew up with war there was never time for emotions. There was just duty, bravery, endurance, rage, grief. Other emotions were somewhere sealed away. He didn't do small talk, but he felt like he was opening up to her in a way that he didn't know he was capable of in the first place. All his war experiences made him a closed off person. He didn't want to feel too much in fear of that boiling pit of grief, pain and anger. But somehow she made him feel.. things….and they were light and positive.

He shook his head, got out of bed and dressed himself. Sakura kept his clothes on, tying the too large shirt tight to her body with a sash, the pants she rolled up until her slender ankles were plain in sight. She looked adorably cute, he smiled to himself. She seemed to notice his gaze and she looked him in the eye, defiant. "You have something to say, Senju?"

He just snickered: "No nothing…".

A girl entered silently setting up breakfast at the small table, rice, smoked fish, eggs. They ate in silence. While they sipped green tea, he stretched his arms above his head. "Say, Sakura-san…"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to spar?"

She sat there with her mouth open. "You can close your mouth you know." At his amused tone, she looked up pissed.

"Fine! I am in dire need to kick somebody's ass!"


	4. Chapter 4

4\. He stood facing her, arms crossed over his chest…

He stood facing her, arms crossed over his chest, looking serious with a slight upward curve of one corner of his mouth. He was waiting for her first move. _Was he amused by the idea of fighting a woman?_ He was a man of his time, he had no experience with kunoichi. She was intimidated by fighting the Nidaime Hokage, but his state of mind in the matter could turn into her advantage. He would probably underestimate her. If she kept on acting like a feeble woman, she might have a chance. _But how would a whiny girl fight?_ She hoped that she would be convincing.

She charged him with her best speed, diverging at the last minute and trying to kick his head from the side. He countered her with one move of his hand without even flinching. It was the starting signal for an intense taijutsu session. He was incredibly fast, moving like lightning around her. She had trouble keeping up. The movements felt incredibly good though, this was her life! With every punch and kick she gained something of her identity and purpose back. These past days of insecurity, endless questions and no answers, pain and sadness. With each kick she felt it drain away, she became more Haruno Sakura, a Konoha shinobi and apprentice of Tsunade-sama.

She felt her muscles warming up, adrenaline kicking in, the movements started to feel effortlessly and smooth. He moved graceful, like water around her. WIth every kick she was amazed at his speed and lethal grace. Whenever he came really close, she smelled him, a male musky smell and a hinge of sweat. His eyes flashing red, following her body, acting and reacting.

And then, when they tested the waters enough, they both got serious.

She suddenly ducked underneath his arms giving his upper body a chakra infused shove upwards and then she let herself fall backwards while simultaneously managing to kick the side of his face with an upward movement of her leg, causing a dull thudding sound against his happuri.

"Is that the reason you wear that old fashioned thing Senju-sama?" She laughed.

He was pissed off, he didn't expect her to lay a hit on him. It was a long time ago that he felt any emotion in a fight. He tried to stay emotionally devoid in a battle, it served him better than rage. Processing his surroundings and opponent objectively made him efficient and strategical superior.

He didn't expect much of this fight if he was honest, he never encountered a female kunoichi before and was convinced that women were not cut out for it. The women of his clan were quick to cry or scare. But Sakura did neither. She took all his punches without even flinching. Her movements were certain and she did not let her fear of pain slow her down. Her movements were graceful, she moved like water, he body strong and agile. After a while her movements became more and more determined, her face serious, and he noticed that she enjoyed it. She became relaxed. Gone was the insecure traumatized girl, he was fighting an adult shinobi that would not back down, no matter who she was up against.

He had to admit that she was better than he expected. She was an inventive fighter, reacting to actuality and finding ways to cope with it. He was impressed, and a small voice in the back of his head told him that she was merely warming up. When she managed to kick his face, he realised that he needed to get serious. He was underestimating her abilities as a kunoichi. She had told him that her teammates were the ones that remained last men standing in this great war, she was the apprentice of the Fifth Hokage, Hashirama's granddaughter. He needed to get serious or she would kick his ass!

Their kicks and punches and movements became serious, there was a real force behind them, an eagerness to hit the opponent. And then he felt it. She was gathering chakra in her fist. She did a quick series of attacks, forcing him backwards. He evaded her easily, throwing a kunai and hitting target. She exploded in a flurry of cherry blossoms. _A Clone? Shimatta! How did she know his technique!_

He jumped backwards, but she came from behind him, her fist charged with chakra. If it wasn't for his Hiraishin, she would have had a clean hit. He transported himself to the other side of the training ground, to a spot that he marked earlier. He looked at her and witnessed the impact of her fist. The ground shook and through the dust he saw an immense crater where he was standing just seconds ago. He felt the blood drain from his face. He would have been obliterated. _What an insane strenght!_

He made hand seals to use a water jutsu on her when he saw her explode near the crater leaving only cherry blossoms. Then he heard a cry from above: "Don't underestimate me!" He cursed. _Was that attack a decoy? Had she plotted this out from the beginning? Did she know that he marked this spot? She knew of his techniques and knew he would be shocked by the impact and would be distracted. That little devil!_ She came down on him with her leg extended, kicking him in the chest burying him in the ground, causing another large crater. He was looking up at her amazed while a sharp pain invaded his chest, he tried not to flinch while she looked down on him, smirking.

Her smile faded when a large wave of water erupted from the ground, engulfing her completely and carrying her over the training grounds, dumping her unceremoniously in the river that streamed past it. She spluttered, disorientated, trying to get her feet on something solid. A hand took her wrist and yanked her out of the water. It was Tobirama standing on the water surface. She stood up on the water surface facing him. He was panting, sweating and covered in dirt. She was wet all over, blood and water trickling from several gashes. They stared at each other and then Sakura grinned: "You look like you were beat into the ground!" She chuckled at his raised eyebrow, and then she just couldn't stop anymore. She clutched her belly and laughed until tears streamed down her face. Tobirama look irritated at first, but after a while he started grinning as well.

When the laughter faded away, he looked serious again. "Sakura-san, I underestimated you. Please forgive me. I did not take you serious because you are a woman."

"It's ok! I overestimated you to be honest, you weren't hard to beat!" And after insulting him like this she spurted off, laughing, leaving the stern man standing at the waterside, his ego dented, being just almost defeated by a girl. He caught up with her and they walked together towards the house to get cleaned up. The guards looked puzzled, they looked like they had been training together, but for Tobirama to look like that, it must have meant that he met an equal. The girl walking next to him however did not look the part.

Hashirama shared this impression. He had been watching the training grounds from the shadows, just as curious as Tobirama to test her skills. He was very impressed. The village they would found, trained excellent shinobi it seemed. Sakura's strength was something that he never saw before. She must have absolute chakra control to be able to lay a punch like that. And on top of that she produced Kage Bunshin like it was second nature. Tobirama's new technique must have been taught in her time at this Ninja Academy she told them about. Tobirama had told her she was a medic ninja. The chakra control that was needed to perform healing was something he was familiar with, but he never dreamt of using this control in such a way in a battle. She was interesting…. and she had a special bond with his brother. That was even more impressive, to get more out of Tobirama than the occasional grunt was a miracle on its own. What happened in the three days they were together in enemy territory?

Back in his quarters she started to feel her injuries, he must feel the same, being kicked to a pulp.

"Sit down, I will heal your injuries."

"Hnn" He sat down.

She took off his shirt with businesslike movements and started to heal his wounds. He relaxed under her hands, relishing the warm chakra flow. After she healed several cracked ribs, she finished off healing his muscle tissue. How he managed to walk all the way back to the compound without even flinching was beyond her. It must have been a real blow to his ego that she kicked his ass for him to stay this stoic all the way to his quarters.

When he was healed, she started on herself and then took off to the bathhouse. The blood was already caked on her skin in hard crusts when she let herself sink into the warm water. When all the dirt was gone and she gotten dressed she suddenly noticed her empty stomach. Back in his quarters she noticed to her delight that lunch was served.

"Sakura-san…" he was barely audible due to a mouthful of rice. He swallowed and asked: "The Kage Bunshin Technique. How did you learn it?"

"At the Ninja Academy", she suddenly realized that the inventor of this technique was wolfing down his lunch across from her. "Ahhh, sumimasen! I forgot! How odd that must be…."

"Indeed, very odd." He looked at her. "It makes me feel cautious of my actions right now, since the impact is severe through time. But I also know that being cautious is not necessarily the course to take. I must remain myself, even though I have this knowledge."

She nodded.

"But Sakura-san, the thought of training our women is an interesting one. The Uchiha and Senju never trained women, it would make the power balance tip if we had double the amount of shinobi because we train our women."

"Yeah, it would, but it could have consequences."

"Hnnnn, that is indeed the matter that we need to discuss with my brother. It is tricky business. Tell me, how did the Academy treat the different sexes?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what is the approach to training the women and how are the different type of missions being dispatched?"

It dawned on her that she really was in a different era. Equality between the sexes was an alien concept to Tobirama and even though he started to respect her as a shinobi other viewpoints were harder to change.

"There is no difference in approach. After reaching genin state, the boys and girls are divided among three man teams, always with mixed sexes. The missions are dispatched among the team on the basis of quality and experience of the team."

He stopped eating. "Really?"

"Yes, really. We are equals in every sense of the word. Even the bringing up of small children is divided among the parents by taking separate missions in turn."

"Really?" he frowned: "I have a lot to learn it seems. But it clarifies your not so ladylike behaviour I suppose…"

The anger hit her within the blink of an eye. "You….."

Then she saw the twinkling in his eyes and eventually a small smirk. "You! Baka!"

And then she couldn't help but smile. He smiled broadly now. Then he stood up and bowed before her.

"Sakura-san, you are an excellent shinobi and a beautiful woman and you have earned my respect. Never doubt it."

She blushed. Again! And she tried to wipe the smirk from her face unsuccessfully.

He noticed her red cheeks and decided to not comment on it. "Let's go to my brother and make a plan then shall we?"

They worked all afternoon and all through the evening. The sliding doors towards the private garden were open, crickets chirping away, in the distant she faintly noticed an owl hooting. The crisp evening air kept their minds alert and fresh. A servant brought diner and they ate while working out different scenario's to prevent the Fourth Shinobi War.

After dinner they started drinking the best sake Sakura ever had and she noticed her mood lighten until she was giggly. Such a strange situation, she was working and drinking with two legendary Hokage's and they were treating her as an equal it seemed. She smiled. They were so different from the image that was nursed at the Academy! They were constantly bickering and fighting. Hashirama laughing sheepishly when his brother told him plainly that he was silly, stupid or said something embarrassing.

Tobirama seemed the more grown-up of the two. He was a realist, blessed with a healthy dose of suspicion, always seeing the downside of scenario's. Hashirama was a dreamer, believing in the positive side of people and the world. His scenario's always had a happy ending, the possibility that he would not be able to see things through to the happy end did not exist in his mind. This was the quality that made him such an exceptional shinobi, he saw possibilities where no one, not even his brother, could see them. It seemed logical that Hashirama founded the city by making the impossible possible and Tobirama, being the realist, would make their combined dream work practically. It seemed that is was predestined almost, although she didn't believe in the concept.

She wondered why Tobirama, the younger one, grew up to be the adult of the two. What happened in their childhood? She decided she would ask him if they ever finished the dilemma's they worked on now.

In the course of the evening the discussions narrowed down on one key event, the death of Uchiha Izuna. This was the trigger that made Madara into the man she faced on the battlefield, the death of his beloved younger brother. And there was the fact that Madara took Izuna's eyes which gained him the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

They started working out several scenario's in which Izuna survived by fighting someone else on the battlefield. The outcome would bring suffering on the Senju side, which they wanted to prevent desperately, there was no Senju shinobi at this moment that was good enough to defeat Uchiha Izuna without killing him. Their conversations kept on looping and they could not find a good solution for it. Until Hashirama looked pensive at Sakura. Tobirama seemed to understand something that Sakura didn't: "No brother. I am against it!"

"Silence Tobirama. This is not your decision!" he turned to Sakura. "Sakura-san, there is one shinobi that is powerful enough to beat Uchiha Izuna."

Sakura frowned: "There is?" Hashirama fell silent, just staring at her. It dawned on her slowly.

"Ahhhh, Shodaime-sama, no, I am not that powerful!"

"Yes, you are, Sakura-san. I monitored your fight with Tobirama and we were very impressed by your skills. Also, you being a woman would be an excellent weapon in this case. You will have the benefit of the surprise. He will underestimate you."

Tobirama tried to speak but Hashirama put his hand up and he fell silent, clearly annoyed and frustrated. He turned to look at her. Sakura thought about it. She did have the advantage, Hashirama was right. Also she had some techniques up her sleeve that were unknown in this era. She could probably be able to punch him non-active.

"This is your choice Sakura-san. You are not a Senju but you are loyal to Konoha. However, Konoha does not exist yet. You own me or this time nothing. It is your right to refuse if you want to, I will not hold it against you."

She looked him in straight in the eye and said: "Shodaime-sama, I have offered my services to the Senju-clan and Tobirama-san has accepted them. I will do anything in my power to prevent the Fourth Shinobi War, even if it will cost me my life. I will accept this mission."

Hashirama smiled: "Thank you Sakura-san. I will accept you as a member of the Senju clan."

Tobirama stood up abruptly. "This meeting is over." he spat and he exited the room quickly. Leaving an understanding Hashirama and stunned Sakura behind.

"Forgive my brother Sakura-san, he always was a hothead. But he means well. The way he behaves is given in by a great concern and love for his people. To let another bleed for a mission that he feels is his, is almost unacceptable for him."

"Will he give in?"

He sighed: "I am not sure. He is very good in keeping his emotions away, hiding behind rationality. But Sakura-san, he is different with you. He seems more open and relaxed. I do not know what your bond is, but there is no denying that he made a place for you in his heart. I have never seen him let anyone this close to him but myself." She blushed.

"Take care of my brother Sakura-san. If anyone can make him see the benefits of your decision it is you. I trust you with this mission, but I also want to trust you with my brothers heart. Please take care of it reverently."

She felt her cheeks burning. Her own suspicions were voiced by Hashirama and her own feelings burned in her as if his words struck fire to them. Her attraction to Tobirama ignited in full force and she felt her heart beating in her chest. She bid Hashirama goodnight and promised to take care of his brother if he let her and then she found her way to their shared room.

There was no light in the room. The air was cold, the doors to the garden open. He was sitting on the engawa in meditative position. He didn't greet her.

She softly closed the sliding doors behind her and walked towards him. She smelled the crisp air. She sat next to him. He didn't acknowledge her. She looked at him. He was staring in the darkness like a stubborn child. He face set. "Can you tell me why you are upset?"

He spat: "I am not upset!"

She rolled her eyes. Unbelievable! He was having a tantrum. She sighed: "Fine. Angry then."

"I am not angry."

"Yes you are!"

"Not!"

"You baka! You are sitting here after you ran away being angry and now you refuse to talk to me? You owe me an explanation Senju-sama", she felt her blood boiling: "I do not need shit from you after making this decision. I don't care if you don't like it, it is my choice. I have seen this war, and I know you have seen more war, but this war is not between two clans. This war was started to annihilate humanity, the end of the world. I-will-do ANYTHING to prevent it. And I know I can do this."

She was cursing at him, complaining about his childish tantrum and turned to walk away. But he suddenly gripped her wrist, keeping her sitting next to him. He turned his head towards her while holding it, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "You are right, I am angry. But not for reasons that you think."

"No? well I don't care what the reasons are, since you refuse to let me in on them, you baka!" she fumed, eyes burning.

"Dammit! I am angry because I know you can do it! I am angry because I apparently am not capable to solve my problems on my own. Now you have to risk your safety because of my screwup! I feel like seeing my little brothers going into battle all over again! Sakura… It doesn't feel right to let you do this alone, without me to at least protect your back. I know that you are powerful and experienced, but…"

"But?"

"But … I feel protective of you…" He fell silent, obviously embarrassed.

She stared at him, mouth open, blinking. He turned his head away from her, trying to hide himself from her reaction. She did the only thing she could think of and that would make sense, she took his shoulder, turned him facing her and gave him a hug. "Thank you Tobirama. Thank you for caring."

"But why would you think that I would go into battle without you to protect my back? We can fight together, as long as we keep Uchiha Izuna alive ne?" she smirked, her face inched away from his: "You don't wanna miss all the fun right?" He looked surprised and then his face went blank again, his anger not yet subsided. "I guess you are right."

When they lay down on his fuuton, and she lay her head on his shoulder, his scent and body warmth lulled her into sleep quickly. She faintly noticed his fingers, pushing strands of hair out of her face, but before she could wonder about it, she was taken by the big black darkness.

Halfway the night, the war caught up with her again. She was seeing Neji fall again, she felt herself pulling at her hair, wailing, beating the very earth his blood sucked up. Then she woke up in Tobirama's arms, panting, soaking wet from cold sweat. He murmuring soothing words in her ear, stroking her back, holding her, never letting her go. He knew her pain, he knew it intimately. She needed to remember again and again until she could look at the memories without flinching without pain. And while her body was ridden with pain, guilt and sorrow, he held her.


	5. Chapter 5

**And there it is, chapter 5. Thanks for the reviews you guys! It is so nice to get reactions and it will make the story better! There is a bit of a cliff hanger on the end, sorry about that. But satisfaction will be close by in the last 2 or three chapters, do not despa** ir.

 **5\. It would be around a month before the crucial battle…**

It would be around a month before the crucial battle would start. In the meantime, Sakura made the Senju compound into her home and she developed a comfortable routine with Tobirama and Hashirama. Her life back in Konoha consisted of training, missions and working non-stop in the hospital. The only spare time she allowed herself consisted of eating with her teammates or visiting Kakashi at the memorial stone. The amount of time she spend in her apartment for other reasons than showering or sleeping was non-existing.

The life of the Senju brothers ran along the same lines. They would work all day or train. The food was sober and in the evening they would drink sake while talking clan business. Even though she did not have her own quarters and missed the streets of Konoha, this routine made her feel like home. And they naturally involved her in all the daily business and clan issue's.

She didn't take any missions, since her battle with Izuna would need the benefit of surprise. If she ran into trouble while on mission, news would spread easily throughout the clans. She was too exotic looking and her techniques were not subtle enough to go unnoticed.

Her average day started with breakfast in Tobirama's quarters. Afterwards she sparred with Tobirama or Hashirama depending on who was available. She thought sparring with Kakashi and team 7 or Tsunade for that matter was challenging, but fighting these Hokage brothers was a completely different level.

The fact that Tobirama underestimated her the first time was literally painfully clear to her now. The second time he did not fall for the same traps. He kicked her merciless to a bloody pulp and outsmarted her in every way possible. Her ego was seriously bruised, even though she noticed afterwards that his own injuries were more severe than he let on. _Stoic bastard!_

After that punishment, she took revenge and the victories did not come easy for him or his brother from then on. So they enjoyed sparring with her, she was a quick learner and her knowledge and skills were surprising and sometimes intimidating. The learning process worked both ways.

Sakura felt honored that these Gods of shinobi would take their time to fight her. They were truly amazing. Tobirama's agile and graceful movements never seemed to amaze her. His body flowed like water, power and beauty combined, and she thought he was a sight to behold. His use of the hiraishin almost made it seem like he could do magic. His strategies were calculated into the absurd. She was certain that he would bring Shikamaru to desperation in a game of shogi.

Hashirama was a friendly teacher, he took his time to explain techniques or things that she could improve. He was quick to laugh and treated her like a younger sister. Tobirama was the opposite. He was a harsh teacher, had no patience and the way he taught her things was always through experience and actions. He pushed her towards and over her limits constantly, never satisfied, never faltering, never going easy for a second on her. When he was teaching her, he would stand, arms crossed over his chest on the side of the training field, grumbling his orders to her, impassively assessing her progress. She cursed at him regularly for being such a stoic bastard, but he didn't get fazed by her remarks, he just upped the training to annoy her. But to irritate him she never complained and silently suffered.

There was no brotherly companionship between them. In the past weeks he treated her more and more like an equal shinobi and less and less like a fragile female. But there was no friendship or brotherly affection. He was all male, his musky scent, his muscular body, a powerful and dangerous beauty. She was falling for him fast. The tension between them was a natural tension between man and woman and it was ever present. She was definitely not on brother-sister basis with him!

Besides the sparring, she managed to become the central healer in the compound within days. Her knowledge of healing was far more advanced than Hashirama' s. She tried to use her advanced healing techniques hidden, but decided with Hashirama that in case of emergency the priority was saving lives.

The Senju developed a natural respect for her and they grew very fond of her. She was a friendly healer with eye for her patients. In the beginning she was modest and followed the orders of the other healers since she was new. But when the first emergency arose, she naturally changed into a strong force, barking commands, delegating tasks and saving lives. They gladly accepted her as their senior in knowledge and experience, how unlikely it seemed giving her age. Tobirama liked watching her in those situations. He was amazed at how natural leadership came to her, how she could mobilize the entire team into an efficient working machine. He admired her for this. She was an amazing woman.

After healing duties she would do some light exercises on the engawa until her muscles were warm and she was sweating again. This routine would lessen her muscle ache the next morning. Then she would tend to her weapons, cleaning and oiling them, sharpening them.

Often Tobirama joined her in these afternoon routines. He followed her exercises with curiosity. They were a type that he was not familiar with, but it stretched his body and cleared out his chakra channels nicely. " What did you call this again?" "Yoga, it is a foreign meditation technique".

They would chat, sitting on the engawa, cleaning weapons, about her time, or clan business. They were comfortable.

In the evening she would hand dinner with Tobirama and Hashirama. The food always simple, rice, fish, vegetables and some seasoning like soy or miso. They would discuss clan matters and their daily issues. The constant bickering between the brothers became normal and she enjoyed their verbal sparring. Their words were dancing around each other, as she got to know them, she started to see the deep feelings for eachother that they were hiding behind their petty fights.

Even though Hashirama was quick to laugh and melodramatic. At first sight he seemed unfazed by the death that surrounded them. He too was battle hardened and the harder emotions were hidden away somewhere, just like with Tobirama. He hid his emotions behind his ever present cheerful appearance, while Tobirama chose to hide in plain sight by not expressing any emotion.

After dinner they would help Hashirama with his Clan duties, shuffling the paperwork, ordering and helping. And then deep in the night, there was time left to drink some sake on the engawa and look at the stars.

She relived her war memories almost daily, also in the presence of Hashirama who held her and comforted her on more than one occasion when Tobirama was on a mission. Still, the intensity seemed to fade little by little. Still, she slept next to Tobirama, she could not imagine sleeping alone any more.

Her bond with Tobirama grew steadily. They would spar, talk and tease each other. But the flirtatious remarks did not occur anymore. From her part, she was afraid that it would cause a tidal wave of emotions that she tried to keep at bay while living with him. She sometimes tried to see him as a father figure, but this became more and more troublesome while their bond intensified during their weeks of interaction.

Keeping her distance, was especially difficult during their sparring sessions, when their sweating hot bodies touched and she could smell his musky scent mixed with sweat and dirt. A small voice in her head told her that the inevitable would happen. She was racing towards it with every night she lay her head on his shoulder, every sparring session, every touch, every look, every kind word, every time she saw his chest, or felt his body underneath her healing hands. She was falling for him.

One exceptionally hot afternoon she ended up trying to kick his abdomen with her foot. But as always he was faster and took her foot, flipping her, forcing her to turn in the air. She escaped with a flip backwards. She thudded to the ground, kicking up dust. He was drenched in sweat, smirking.

"You have to be faster than that Sakura-chan!" He cleared the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and then took his shirt off showing off a glistening sixpack, covered in scars.

She swallowed, audibly. Then she blushed, yelling: "Are you trying to distract me with that?"

He smirked, noticing her uneasiness: "Like what you see?"

She grumbled, charging him with three kage bunshin trying to kick him into the dust, but he evaded her easily, kicking her against a tree. While he stood watching her slide down, he was unaware that he was watching a clone and the real Sakura was standing behind him with a kunai. Or so she thought.

When she tried to strike he ducked fast as lightning, kicking her feet from underneath her crashing her into the ground. He straddled her, holding a kunai against her throat, panting. She was suddenly very aware of the close proximity of his body to hers. She felt the heat of his lower body on her pelvis and hips. She blushed deeply when she felt a familiar flurry of butterflies in her stomach. _Kami! He was the Nidaime! It was impossible!_ He lowered his head towards her face, his features devoid of emotion. She held her breath, heart thudding against her ribs.

The moment passed suddenly and he stood up, reaching his hand to hers. She took it and he pulled her up to her feet. He walked towards the river and she followed him, eager to cool off her face. Standing on the side, she squatted to reach the water with her hands.

Then suddenly he pushed her in. She felt the cold water envelop her, not an unwelcome feeling. She came up for air spluttering: "Baka!, you baka!" He smirked, taking off his leg bindings and sandals.

Then he stared at her, in thought. His gaze was intense and serious. Then he suddenly took off his pants and stood a few seconds totally relaxed and unfazed on the riverbank and then dived into the water. She froze on the spot. _He stripped before her eyes! And he was gorgeous!_ Had she been blushing before with butterflies, she felt like she was on fire now.

She saw him swim easily. As a water user he had control over the current and it seemed to follow him wherever he swam. She felt envious and wanted to swim as well, but her wet clothes were a hinderance. She decided to pay him back.

She went out of the water, back towards him and started to take off her wet shirt and peel of her pants. She could almost feel his gaze burning a hole in her back. She smirked, _two could play this game_ … Then she took a deep breath and turned around. It was just like she suspected, he was staring at her, eyes burning. There was something in his expression, he looked almost hungry. He tried to hide it and look indifferent, but his mask was crumbling.

She smirked victorious: "Like what you see, Senju?" And she dived in. The water was cool and she felt reborn, letting herself float in the depths. She came up for air. She looked for him, and he had not moved an inch, still staring at her. She felt cold water rise up around her legs. She fidgeted. The cold water seemed to caress her legs, slowly circling upward towards her thighs and more intimate parts. Then her belly and breasts. Then it dawned on her and she stared at him, feeling her core heating up, getting moist.

He smirked…. "This fight is not over yet, kunoichi…" She felt the current pushing her towards him and she let herself float with it her heart hammering and butterflies in her stomach. She tried to locate Tobirama but couldn't find him anymore. Where did he go?

Suddenly she was pulled with force under water by her ankle. Strong arms encircled her waist, guiding her head and his lips crashed on hers. She eagerly kissed him back, the fire raging through her body. They came up for air panting. He looked at her again and kissed her softly this time, holding her body, grinding himself against her.

She moaned when she felt his hard member grinding into her. His gaze clouded over and passion took them, they were oblivious to the world, there was just his hands on her skin, his lips, his rock hard body against her. "Sakura…. "

She could only moan in reply. His kisses put her body on fire. Even though they were in the water, she could feel the calloused hands trailing her skin leaving a hot trail.

They pulled away, trying to catch their breath. He smiled a genuine smile, caressing her cheek, cupping her chin. "I wanted to do that the first time I met you…." he confessed. She smiled back at him: "What took you so long?"

He looked surprised at her: "Well this is not proper in the least, you must forgive me. I just found to have not one resistant bone in my body left today. But this is no proper courting, I do you injustice."

She looked at him seriously: "Tobirama, in my time courting is valued, but the physical part of a relationship is more unattached than you are accustomed to. It is common for couples to 'date', try out the relationship to test the match of personalities. Often the relationship will be physical as well. After 'dating' the relationship can be terminated or prolonged into marriage. So, I do not think you do me injustice or don't treat me honorable. I think that the only thing that matters is that we both feel comfortable with the situation."

He blinked. "Really? Your time is very odd indeed. Have you done a lot of 'dating'?"

She hesitated: "Hmm, yes. The relationship became only physical with one person though."

He looked puzzled: "So you decided not to take the relationship further?"

"No… " she felt strange confessing this to him. "He turned out to be an asshole to be honest."

"What was his name?"

He hesitated. But decided to be honest with him: "Uchiha Sasuke".

He frowned. "Did he hurt you? This Uchiha?" He spat the name. She cringed at the venom in his voice, but then looked sad: "Yes, but only my heart…."

He cupped her cheek again: "I won't hurt you Sakura and I will not apologize for my actions if you are comfortable about this situation…I do not regret it. Still, I think I will start feel uncomfortable staying here naked in the water with you so close near a public training ground. Let's head back shall we?"

She nodded. They exited the water and dressed, their clothes clinging to their wet skin, drenching them. They walked back to the compound. She silently slipped her hand into his. He gave her a small smile. Near the entrance gate, they released hands and walked through it separately. Twilight already set in. They went to his quarters where cold dishes were waiting for them.

After washing and a change of clothes they sat down to eat. She chewed her food thoughtfully, watching the night fall in the garden. Something had changed in the atmosphere between them, the silence wasn't comfortable this night. They caught each other staring constantly and she had a silly smile on her face that she almost couldn't hide.

After dinner, their silence made place to chitchat. They kept talking about nothing and everything. He grunted and hmmmd often as was his custom.

Suddenly she lay her head in his lap. He looked surprised, but then smiled and caressed her hair slowly. Letting her pink strands slip through his fingers. They stayed like that for some time and then it was time to slip onto the fuuton to get some sleep.

Suddenly her throat was dry. They crossed an invisible border this afternoon and now she could feel that it was awkward lying next to him as if nothing had happened. She wanted him. Her desire for him burned her insides to ash and she could see that he felt the same, his glowing eyes following her every move. He was a man of his time though. To make love before marriage was probably an impossibility. Their intimate sleeping arrangements would become agony if he was adamant in those customs.

Besides this predicament, she only knew that she wanted him, desire burning a hole through her body. She wanted to hold that rock hard muscled body against her own, feeling his warmth, kiss him, caressing his unruly hair and stare into his red eyes.

Instead of acting to those desires, they lay in bed at some distance from each other, just staring. They both relished in the fact that they did not need to hide it anymore. What would he think? Did he want to cross that last boundary just as bad as she wanted to?

Then she made a decision. She slowly sat on her knees next to him, slowly taking off her shirt. She felt the cold air enveloping her upper body, giving her goosebumps. She was shaking due to the tension and desire that gripped her.

He looked up at her, impassive. She stared back at him, slowly taking of the bindings around her breasts. She let them slowly slip of her skin, strand by strand, until her perk nippels peaked out of them and then her breasts were released. He was watching her all the time intently, emotion started to fill his eyes, a small smile on his lips, hands behind his head. "Like what you see?" She felt a tiny bit insecure, but he smiled and slowly trailed his hands from her face downward to her breasts. "Yes…" he murmured. Then his hand cupped her breast, her nipple in between his fingers, rolling softly. She moaned.

This woman! He felt his body getting hard, painfully hard. She was so beautiful. He wanted her, wanted to make her his. He wanted no other man ever to touch her. He faintly realised that it was highly improper to lay with her like this, and disrespectful to her, but he did not have any restraint left. She had brought him to his knees and he would see this through.

He kissed her pulling her closer, slowly kneading her breast in the process, making her moan. She felt his heart falter, his breath hitched. "Sakura….. I want you…" She moaned in his ear and whispered: "I am yours…"

Then a rusty bell started clanging loudly. They both shot up. Tobirama cursed. The alarm! They knew what this mend. WIthout a single word they slipped into their shinobi routine. Silently dressing and choosing weapons with care.

When Tobirama was fully dressed in his blue armour he looked towards her. He looked majestic and dangerous. His happuri glistening in the moonlight, his eyes dark slits. His grey hair complemented by the white fur around his shoulders and the blue armour.

She was wearing a Senju Hitai-ate, black clothing. She had wanted no armour plates afraid that it would slow her down. She had a katana on her back, her pouch on her lower back. She looked serious and dangerous, staring back at him.

They held each other's gaze for a few heartbeats. Then he walked towards her slowly until he was standing close looking down at her. "You are mine, kunoichi. I want to finish what we started."

Then he grabbed her waist, pulled her into him and kissed her with force.

"As do I. Let's kick Uchiha Izuna's ass!"

" Hnnn." he grunted in her ear. "You. Take care and be safe."

She looked him in the eyes, her features grim. " Hai! I will."


	6. Chapter 6

**So... chapter six! Please reviewers, keep them coming! More updates follow shortly.**

6\. It felt like the Fourth Shinobi War again…

It felt like the Fourth Shinobi War again, she heard weapons clattering, shouts, there were bodies everywhere. The battle started in the night, but they fought well into the morning.

Serving under Hashirama felt assuring. He was an experienced warrior and he gained respect naturally. His men followed him into death without question or hesitation. His strategies were sound and he never asked from his men what he would not do himself.

In the battle she was one of the stronger shinobi and as such she tried together with Hashirama and Tobirama to reduce the casualties to a minimum. She healed the men whenever she could and tried to save their lives in battle as well.

But she couldn't save everybody. With some men that died that day she became acquainted during her brief time as part of the Senju clan. Even though there was not enough time to form friendships, every life was important to her and every death a grievance.

And then Uchiha Izuna happened upon her while she was healing a young warrior, a child almost. She heard the kunai whistling through the air and deflected it with her kunai never stopping the green chakra flow towards her patient. She realised with a start that he was not trying to target her, but the boy she was healing and an intense fury took hold of her.

"State your name so that I may know my enemy" she said coolly, her rage contained.

He blinked at her determined words: "Enemy? Are you a Senju kunoichi?"

She answered by throwing a kunai at him. He easily dodged, but looked puzzled. He answered: "Uchiha, Izuna".

She charged him, her fury giving her wings and remembered in time that she did not need him to know yet how accomplished she was. She had tried to stay low in the battle up till now and used no chakra enhanced punches or kicks that would catch the eyes of the Uchiha. She needed subtlety to surprise him in order to render him unconscious.

His hair was pitch black and his eyes matched that colour. He was handsome, like all Uchiha's but with the same stoic expressionless features in his face. She felt emotions stir when she thought of the person that bore the same expressionless features. Uchiha Sasuke resembled Izuna like two drops of water. They could be brothers. She felt a pang in her heart, of emotions long buried snapping. But she couldn't afford to be emotional. _This was not Sasuke, this was her enemy!_

He hadn't activated his sharingan yet, so he did not take her serious yet. She smirked inwardly. _What an idiot!_ This was one of the first lessons she was taught in school, never underestimate your opponent!

She flew at him with a string of taijutsu moves, but tried to pretend that she was surprised by his speed. She cursed at him, to lead him on in his idea that she was a feeble female. It was a precarious balance that she needed to keep up. He was an Uchiha and his powers were formidable, if they would fight full out she doubted if she could win from a sharingan user. However she had years of training with Sasuke. She knew the weak points in the sharingan and she knew how to avoid being trapped in his eyes. Also she was very good in dispelling genjutsu.

Unfortunately he was very good at Gōkakyū no Jutsu. His last attack she barely managed to outrun. She heard him laugh and yell at her: "Just give up you Senju bitch!" She felt anger rising. _The nerve! If he only knew what she was doing!_

After a few series of attack to test his capabilities she got serious. She had stalled the fight long enough, he was getting tired, just as herself. Now she just had to get him unconscious and then tie him with chakra ropes. Easy right?

She tried out a few attacks but he blocked every single one of them. Then he managed to kick her into a tree. The tree cracked and fell by the impact. While he was admiring his own handywork, she exploded in a flurry of cherry blossom leaving him bewildered. _The same technique as that Senju? Impossible! Who was this girl?_ He never seen her before and she didn't seem like a Senju at all with her pink hair. She was a stranger, he had no intel on her. He suddenly felt wary.

Then the air above him moved. He looked up. She came down with her leg held out. She kicked him in his chest and he felt himself being beat in the earth. A large crater formed. _What an impossible strength! She was not what she seemed…._

He flicked on his sharingan. He had to get serious now or he would lose this fight! While crawling out of the crater the tomoes in his eyes were spinning and he saw her tensing up. She didn't look into his eyes. _They taught her well._ They fought seriously now, he stayed clear from her hits and punches. Sometimes she missed, leaving enormous damage in the earth.

His movements were incredibly fast due to his Sharingan and he could just predict where she would move to during their fight. It was unnerving. His fire jutsu became more intense, scorching her arms at one point. She kept on trying to evade him, stretching the battle wearing him out, waiting for the opportune moment that she needed.

She felt herself becoming tired as well. Then suddenly Izuna surprised her with a series of attack, kicking her into several trees. She saw a flash of mangekyo sharingan and felt herself getting cold. _It came to that already..._

She felt herself flying backwards, blood spurting out of her mouth. And then suddenly she felt a warm hand on her back followed by a tugging movement on her body. She suddenly stood behind Izuna on the battlefield. He wheeled around and widened his eyes. " You!"

Tobirama had caught her in midair and transported her with his hiraishin to another position on the battlefield. She felt relieved.

"Yes, me!" he grunted. He whispered in her ear: " Sakura-chan, he is worn out now. Do you have a plan?"

"Hai, I will distract him so you can kick him unconscious and bind him with chakra." He nodded grimly.

"But Tobirama…." she chewed her lip: "It will be severely disturbing for you to see. There is no time to explain, but you have to trust me. I will be ok." He frowned but nodded.

But it wasn't enough. She turned his face toward her with her hand, looking him straight in the eye: "Tobi, promise to trust me: I will be ok."

He widened his eyes at her seriousness. He surveyed her, face schooled. "Do you trust me?" she insisted.

"I trust you."

Then she smiled at him and made a few handsigns to perform Tsunade's Ninpō Sōzō Saisei Byakugō no Jutsu.

Tobirama noticed alien markings crossing her face and then further along her body, originating from the diamond shape seal on her forehead. He felt chakra contained behind the seal spreading across her body, powering her up. _The amount of chakra was incredible! But what was this jutsu?_

Before he could ask her anything she ran towards the Uchiha with incredible speed. He startled. _She was running straight at him! What was she thinking!_ He cursed loudly, calling her. But then he remembered her words and tried to shut out any emotion that tried to surface when he saw her running towards certain death. _He made a promise and he did trust her. Did he?_

With his years of mental training he forced any fear or doubt back down and away. He could not be distracted by doubt or fear. He could endanger her if he did. He forced his mind into the present moment.

He prepared for attack. He marked her, so he just had to wait until she was close to his enemy. Then he would use Hiraishin to get to him and kick his ass.

Emotions kept swirling upward though. His heart was hammering in his chest. _What was she doing!_

And then the thing he feared happened. She just ran flatout towards him and into his sword. He saw the blade stick out of her back and heard the sickening ripping sound of metal through flesh. His heart stopped, his breathing stopped. Emotions that he didn't know he had surfaced. It took him all his self control, his carefully build up self control to suppress and ignore the grief and despair and to not transport himself to her to hold her. It took him everything to not kick the Uchiha's head from his body or nail him to the ground with his sword.

It took him everything he had to punch him unconscious and tie him business like with chakra, securing him. It took him everything to stay objective, rational, emotionless, to stay Senju Tobirama.

And after he completed the objective they had fought for he mechanically turned around to look at her and his heart stopped for the second time. The grief he felt reminded him of the dark days when his little brothers died on the battlefield. He felt all energy leave him and he sunk to his knees.

Her blood penetrated his pants, still warm. With shaking hands, he lifted her upper body from the ground and held her into his chest and felt a sob clawing his way out of his chest. He felt empty, a deep nothingness and behind it a boiling pit of rage that he dared not touch.

Then he heard her murmuring "Tobi…." His sob came out with difficulty, he gasped in his surprise, almost to tears, "Tobi, I am ok. Just trust me… " When he dared looking at her face she smiled faintly and a green glow surrounded her wounds. Steam was rising from them. She sat up with his help and with two hands she took the blade and with a grunt she pulled it out of her body, while the wounds healed.

He was rooted on the spot: " You….."

She smiled at him. "Yes, me. I told you to trust me." She saw emotions follow each other quickly on his face and in the end he smiled. "You scared me."

Her face softened: " I know. I didn't think I would need this technique. If I had thought it possible I would have informed you in advance. I am sorry."

"Only the result counts, Sakura. I guess you hinted on this technique when you explained why you feel guilty that you didn't save Hyuuga Neji."

She fell quiet. "Yeah….."

He held her softly and then he pulled her up, inspecting her wounds. They noticed Izuna who regained consciousness very quickly. He was looking shocked, staring at the scene before him. T _his girl! She planned this from the start!_ Her bravery shocked him. She nailed herself willingly to his sword, almost died and then pulled his katana out of her body. Her courage surprised him and angered him. _This kunoichi! She beat him by sheer bravery and with medical skills!_

When Madara noticed his brother bound, the fight between him and Hashirama took off to another level. Sakura watched in awe when history took its course before her eyes. She knew the outcome, but what if she altered the future already? What if Hashirama tried to kill himself and Madara did not stop him? She felt an intense relief when the ending seemed to go just like the history scrolls. The future was looking bright. Konoha would be build and Madara was a less pained and troubled soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**6\. She had been working tirelessly the whole night…**

She had been working tirelessly the whole night in a makeshift hospital tent on the battlefield. It was just a roof with no sides, so that both clans could see how their leaders were treated.

Hashirama and Madara were lying on mats, unconscious, their chakra reserves depleted and on top of that severely wounded. Sakura was healing the most critical injuries first, fighting for their lives.

Madara was priority. He was hurt severely and it was imperative to make it clear to the clan members that the Senju were serious about the peace. So she healed him, repressing her memories of the battle in her own time, all the grief, pain and suffering he caused there. The death of Neji, the nailing of Sasuke to his sword, destroying Obito's mind.

She gritted her teeth. She felt it fitting that she had the same traumatic experiences as the Senju clan with the Uchiha. It was easier to understand the importance and difficulty of this peace and how precarious the coming time would be for everyone. Everybody lost loved ones in the battles, everybody hurt. It was imperative that acting on those emotions was a thing of the past. So she tried as hard as the Senju around her to put her emotions aside and healed one of her bitterest enemy until colour hit his cheeks and his breathing became strong and even.

She felt exhausted but started working on Hashirama nevertheless. His injuries were far less, but the chakra depletion was severe. She could not remedy that with her healing techniques. But she could heal his injuries so that his body could more efficiently refuel the chakra reserves. She worked until the sun started to rise and the birds started singing. She could see some colour on his cheeks as well. She sighed and looked at the both of them. They looked peaceful, sleeping next to each other.

She stood up and walked towards the four guards that stood close, watching her, two Uchiha and two Senju. "Please watch them for me. Call for me when one of them wakes, make sure they drink water first thing."

The battlefield was a dramatic sight. Tobirama and Izuna apparently made their peace during the night and were leading a team that was collecting the bodies. Uchiha and Senju shinobi were lying next to each other in death. The living were standing and watching, empty eyes, exhaustion plain.

She sighed, she needed to heal the wounded. There were other healers at work, from both clans, but she was more advanced in healing techniques. She searched for wounded that were not yet attended to, feeling dizzy. She was suffering from chakra depletion as well. She heard a voice behind her "Haruno-san?" She looked around and saw Uchiha Izuna. He too looked exhausted.

"Haruno-san… please forgive me. I was out of line targeting your patient."

"Yes you were. You shouldn't apologize to me, but to my patient. He survived."

He nodded and then bowed to her. "I will do so. But I wish to pay my respects to my former enemy as well. You fought tactically smart and defeated me with your bravery and medical ninjutsu. Please accept my respect for you."

She sighed. "Thank you Uchiha-san. You are a worthy and impressive opponent. I am sorry I did not fight you honest and straightforward."

He nodded at her reply, his face serious. He was so serious! She felt like walking on eggs. She noticed that he was very young. He reminded her of Sasuke and Naruto. And suddenly she felt her resentment slide off of her. He could have been her teammate!

She grinned: "I know a solution Uchiha-san, let's have a rematch!" he looked confused. "Rematch?"

"Yes! Let's spar with each other in the future. We can teach each other our special tricks… "

He looked confused, but after a while he started to grin as well. "What an odd notion. This peace feels strange. But I accept your invitation Haruno-san. It will be my pleasure." And with that he bowed and walked away grinning.

While smiling she noticed Tobirama watching her from far away, arms crossed over his chest. Then he appeared next to her, hand on her shoulder where his mark still was visible. Her hair moved by the replacement of air that it caused.

"And you were grinning together because….." His voice rumbled, causing goosebumps on her skin.

"I am grinning, Senju, because I invited him to have a rematch where I can fight him honestly. In a sparring session. And he accepted!"

He fell silent and then grunted: "I can tell you grew up in a peaceful era. I am so not ready for this … truce…. How are Madara and my brother?"

"They are fine. A bit dented, but after a good 48 hours sleep they will feel better. I made sure to heal Madara first as we agreed." He nodded and looked around. She took a good look at him, noticing the blackness underneath his eyes. Just like her he didn't sleep during the night and he looked exhausted. He had several large gashes on his legs and arms.

"Let me heal you…."

"No. First the men. First the Uchiha. We must keep the peace. Hashirama would kill me if the Uchiha would feel slighted by healing our own first." She nodded. He was right of course.

Halfway the afternoon the battlefield was cleared of the dead. Each clan brought the dead back to the compounds as well as the sick. Hashirama and Madara woke in the morning, talking softly to each other in the tent. The guards made sure that they had water and sent for Sakura.

She attended them business-like. Hashirama greeting her and thanking her cheerfully. Madara was silent and she felt his eyes following her, burning holes in her back.

He suddenly spoke, voice raspy: "Haruno-san…. I thank you for healing me and for capturing my brother instead of killing him."

"It is my job Uchiha-sama, to tend to people instead of killing them." she tried a small smile and found it hard. He noticed her reluctance to be friendly and sighed.

"Ah…. you are also scarred by the wars. I wish to make them undone Haruno-san if I knew how. I will do my utmost best to make peace between the clans and forge a village where shinobi can live and fight together."

He stood up carefully and bowed to her. She felt suddenly emotional. _This man. This man!_ He was responsible for so much death and sorrow. So much blood. She felt chakra gathering in her fists. She knew he noticed too. He hesitated, his eyes involuntarily jumping to sharingan. The tension was rising, Hashirama started to stand, startled.

"Sakura-chan…" Madara reached out to her.. "I am truly sorry…."

And then she felt tears falling from her eyes. "I know." she cried, softly noticing: "Peace might be just as hard as war."

He held her shoulder and caught a tear from her cheek and he smiled. "Now the healer needs healing. Sakura-san, the war is over. Peace is here now. Please, you are just as necessary in forging this peace as any of us. You need to be strong and we need our grief to pass and look at the future."

She started at his words. The tears stopped. He was right. This was not the sadistic Madara that she fought. This was their second chance. She wiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve. Nodded and stood straight. "Uchiha-sama, let me offer you my allegiance as a shinobi to the Uchiha as well as the Senju and to this peace that I will guard with my life." She bowed.

"I accept your allegiance Sakura. And I thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

**So I'm sensing a severe lemon scene waiting to happen. What do you say? Yes or no? Please review?**

 **8\. They exited the battlefield last. Sakura looked over the barren earth…**

They exited the battlefield last. Sakura looked over the barren earth, clutching her upper body with her arms. Blood patches were littered across the ground. The sun was sinking behind the horizon, drowning the sky in an intense red glow echoing the bloody ground. The air felt moist and cold. The cold seeped into her bones and she shivered.

She looked at Tobirama who stood straight, arms crossed, eyes closed, face tilted upwards towards the sky and sinking sun. The red glow fell on his face, hair and fur collar. There were red blotches on the white fur, stubborn witnesses to the violence of the battle.

She felt like she was looking at a god of war, bloodied, proud, indestructible. She felt honoured to have been fighting with him, to work on this peace together with him. She felt a warmth in her stomach, walking towards him. He slowly tilted his head downwards and towards her, opening his eyes. He looked at her intently. "Sakura-chan…. the battle is over, this dream is coming true."

" Hai…" she whispered.

He turned towards her, wrapping his arms around her frail body. "I am proud to have been fighting next to you, my fierce kunoichi."

She felt that damned blush crawling on her cheeks again. "Same here, Senju." She grinned.

"Let's go home?"

"Home?" The word tasted different in her mouth. She sighed and felt that there was a major change taking place. This felt more like home than the future. Her own time seemed far away and unreal. He was here, warm, real and alive.

"Yeah… let's go home.."

He activated hiraishin and they appeared in his quarters. She sunk to her knees, her ears were experiencing a long peeping sound again, now that the silence of the compound enveloped them.

"You get yourself a bath and go sleep. I will have to manage the security while Hashirama is still unwell."

She nodded and he disappeared.

Undressing she inspected her wounds. She only had minor injuries. She couldn't be bothered to heal them. It was better to save chakra. When she entered the baths several men were bathing there already even though it was a women's bath. She shrugged. They deserved to bathe after this battle, and she was too tired to hide her nakedness. They deserved to look at some female beauty.

She took off her robe and stepped in the hot water. Her body relaxed and her mind drifted off. She forgot about the men and she saw the battle pass her mind's eye like a film. The impact of the memories was not as intense as the previous ones, but they were persistent nevertheless and very disturbing. It surprised her that she did not have episodes yet.

After bathing she went the Tobirama's quarters and found the remnants of their evening supper of two nights before on the table. It was a witness of their peaceful and might she add hot night together. It seemed like a lifetime ago, unreal almost.

She sat down and ate some leftover rice from the bowls, she didn't want to bother the kitchens for fresh food when so many were injured or mourning. She ate a bit, not really feeling hungry and sat on the engawa. She was hyperalert, the memories kept on spinning around in her head. Sleep was something she didn't feel like. Her mind was a chaotic mealstream and she desperately wanted it to slow down. She was afraid to sleep without Tobirama. So she waited for him, feet dangling from the engawa, listening to the crickets in the night, looking at the eternal stars.

He came when morning was almost upon them. The first birds started to make sounds hesitantly. He looked exhausted but just like her hyperalert. He flung his happuri on the hanger, his armour dropped halfway unceremoniously on the ground. He silently sat down next to her, a bowl with leftovers and chopsticks in his right hand. They sat in silence, he ate and she just stared ahead.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Too much thoughts"

"It happens."

"I wanted to wait for you."

" Hnnn"

He didn't look at her, but wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You know… seeing your history with Uchiha Sasuke and since you are eagerly making appointments with new Uchiha men, I would like to ask your permission to court you."

"Court me? Nani?" She started laughing.

He grinned and pulled her onto his lap, pushing the hair out of her face and behind her ears. "Yes, court you. I already informed my brother. He gave us his blessing."

She felt weird, her laughter faltering, looking at his face from inches away. "But, … we were doing just fine right?"

He looked at her intently. "Sakura… I am not a casual man. I do not just feel physical attraction, although that is very present I must say" he squeezed her hip for a moment evoking a small yelp from her.

"I never cared for women, thought they were weak, girlish and troublesome. You, on the other hand, are dangerous, intelligent, beautiful, stubborn and my equal in every sense possible and I like that. Apparently I was born in the wrong age. I like it that you are a shinobi and a damn good one. I want you to be mine. I don't want to sleep without you, don't want to live through this peace without you. Just say you want to be mine as well…"

He looked at her intently, serious. It felt like a proposal and she started to feel a warm glow rising up from her stomach. She looked in his eyes seriously: "Like I said Senju, I am yours…."

And then she saw something that she didn't expect from this stoic man. She saw a tear run down his cheek. A single tear. His expression was stoic, but the tear betrayed his feelings.

"I am a man of warfare Sakura. I was not raised to have emotions. But trust me that it means everything to me to hear you say that." He kissed intensely. And she melted into him. When they stopped gasping for air, she asked him: "So what does that involve, courting?"

"Well, normally the man tries to woo the woman, take her out for walks, get to know her, introducing him to his family. And after six month it is customary to ask for her hand."

"... Six months?"

"Yes. But there is a deal that I have in mind that I still have to discuss with you."

"And that is?"

He took a bite of his leftovers and chewed thoughtfully.

"I want to court you to make it clear to the outside world that I respect you, that you are an honorable woman and that no other male can make claims on you. I cannot help it, that you live in my time now and this is customary."

"Right.."

He turned his head and looked at her seriously, eyes stern.

"However, since you are very much a woman of your time, and you seduced me already the other night, I intent to go sleep tonight. And when we wake in the morning and I feel like I have more energy, I will take you in every way possible. I want to hear you cry out my name, customs be damned."

She gasped and went beet red in a second and hit him in the shoulder. He grinned, clutching her to his chest and then releasing her. "I am going to bathe now. I smell like blood and sweat. You go lie down, I will be here shortly. Don't worry about your episodes, I will be able to sense your chakra."

She watched him walking away and she lay down on the fuuton. She felt warm and hot and giggly. The anticipation of what was coming, was racing through her system in the form of millions of butterflies. She wondered if she could ever fall asleep like this. While waiting, her body warmed up under the blanket. She noticed her feet becoming really warm and cosy and then despite her emotional uproar, the blackness took her, making her eyelids drop and there was a big long nothingness.


	9. Chapter 9

**8\. She woke to the sound of crickets ….**

She woke to the sound of crickets and to the twilight. She felt rested, peaceful but confused because of the crickets. Then it dawned on her: they must have slept a day and night! Unbelievable. Then she felt an arm snake around her waist and pulling her into a hard warm body. The butterflies came back instantly, her belly ignited and her legs started to become wobbly. The inside of her thighs shook involuntarily.

He pulled her hair to the side and kissed her neck. His breath caused her skin to shiver and form goosebumps all the way to her calfs. She slowly turned towards him, so that she could look at him. She stared at him, mesmerized. Their bodies inches apart by her movement, her hands rested tentatively on his chest, his fingers trailed her hip, then caressed her back. His hair was in complete disarray, but he looked rested and he had color on his cheeks. His expression was serious, his red eyes searching her face for something. Maybe aproval?

She closed her eyes for a moment and concentrated on the feeling of his calloused hands caressing her back and she felt herself drown in the warmth that radiated from him. She gingerly let her hands slide from his chest and inching towards his side and back, slowly caressing him. Underneath her fingers, rock hard muscles moved under warm and soft skin. He closed his eyes for a second, then stared at her again. He closed the gap between them with one swift motion. His hard member pressed against her leg, making her blush. He smiled at her reaction, and pressed himself against her more firm and sighed in the crook of her neck, softly biting down, his breath tickling her earlobe.

She let out a moan involuntarily. It made his breath hitch and he grinded against her. He stared at her, red eyes suddenly glazed over with want. He moved a bit away to look at her, his fingers traced the skin of her leg, marred with scars and souple muscles underneath. He was mesmerized by her. He cupped her cheek, staring into her eyes, trying to lay everything he felt but could not speak out loud, into his eyes and actions. _She was so beautiful._ He traced her cheeks, chin, eyebrows, caressed her hair, memorising every detail. He kissed her again, moaning into her mouth, mimicking her sounds.

She had too much clothes on. He sat up suddenly and pulled her shirt up slowly. When she was exposed, he just sat there and admired her breasts. She felt his eyes burning a hot trail on her skin. Then she gasped when his hand reached and softly touched and stroked her niple. She sighed and moaned at his touch. His calloused fingers, from a lifetime of shinobi training, made her niple react, getting hard. And it set other things on fire, lower in her body.

Her reaction to his touches made him feel intensely aroused. He peeled off her pants and underwear with sure movements. Then he noticed her faint blush. She was shy. While he wanted to expose all of her, she kept her legs together and avoided his gaze. _Could she be insecure?_

Her insecurity however was soon washed away by the realization that he was in fact shirtless. She forgot to breath, his scarred muscular chest, his penetrating gaze, his angular features and wild hair. A small trail of white hairs descended from his abs towards his pants toward other bodyparts. Bodyparts that she wanted to see desperately. She felt herself becoming wet instantly and felt her reluctant timidness wash away. She wanted this man. She wanted to reach out and touch all that hard muscle and see what was underneath his last garments. She lifted her hand.

He caught her wrist before she could reach him. He took the lead by putting his hands on both her knees. Her breath hitched in anticipation of what is was up to. Her blush intensified. He slowly, ever so slowly forced her legs to open. She felt intensely aroused by the act, she felt wanted and sexy and other things that she never felt before.

He never broke eye contact, wanting to see the arousal in her eyes while he spread her legs until she lay totally exposed for him, legs held wide by his hands. When he was satisfied about her obvious arousal he turned his gaze downwards and looked at her sex. He felt the blood immediately rush towards his member and his breath became ragged. She was so gorgeous, her sex leaking wetness and her smell hit him like a sweet poison. He licked his lips and let her legs go to tugg off his pants, exposing his erect member, twitching at the sight before him.

And he went down on her.

He licked the moisture out of her folds and she could not suppress a loud moan. _Kami, this was heaven!_ He licked her and sucked her clit, making her skin crawl with goosebumps. She panted and grabbed his hair, forcing him to take her deeper. He penetrated her with his fingers, intensifying the sensations. She felt first one finger, then another. His fingers burned in her and she clasped her inner walls around him in ecstasy.

She felt a familiar heat building deep inside her. She clawed his hair and shoulders, moaning loudly. And just like that, he quickly brought her to an orgasm. It took her by complete surprise and a white noise deactivated all her senses for what seemed like an eternity.

When she felt sane again she saw him grinning at her, licking his lips. Then he leaned over her again, in between her legs, grinding into her sensitive parts, making her squirm: "Did you like that?"

She could hardly answer him, panting still and trying to catch her breath.

"Sakura, I am not very patient at this moment."

"Tobi…..I want you! Now!"

He didn't hesitate. He held down one of her legs, opening her up, guiding his member toward her entrance. She felt incredibly sexy when she realised he still had full view of her wet sex, swollen from her orgasm.

Then, with one quick thrust he entered her. He held still, face slack, eyes shut and mouth grim. He was concentrating hard on the sensations that threatened to make him cum then and there. When he recovered enough he started to move slowly. She was incredible tight from her orgasm, but her wetness made his movement soon supple and delicious.

And then he fucked her until she chanted his name, over and over again. Each time he heard his name role off her lips it made him harder still. _This woman was driving him crazy!_

He thrust into her and decided then and there that there would be no other. She was his and he was hers. He sat up more straight, changing the angle of his thrusts, forcing her legs to the side so he could see himself entering her. She was not shy anymore, she looked at him, eyes half lid in her moment of ecstasy and he saw and felt her orgasm again, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

She was beautiful and the most sexy woman he ever laid eyes on. And then, when her walls clamped his member almost painfully, he came undone, spilling himself into her with a loud moan.

He held her, panting. Feeling the wetness between their bodies. He kissed her, whispering her name in her ears. She whispered his. And he held her in return. "Little kunoichi. You are mine."

He never experienced anything like this before. He had women before, but although the physical act was satisfying, it was always devoid of emotion.

She could have his child he thought in a fleeting moment. The thought didn't bother him at all, he felt some deep satisfaction about that. If she would end up pregnant, they just would have to marry sooner. He snickered. _Uchiha Izuna, Uchiha Sasuke, eat your hearts out…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey you guys. Somebody noted that this chapter feels a bit rushed. How right you are.**

 **I wrote this sneaky in the afternoon while I in actuality had to work on my master thesis :( caught red-handed. I know it is a bit rushed. Oh well, what else is there to write when the hunt is finally over and they caught each other. So dramatic twist seemed to be in order. Very sorry about this, it is quite an artificial twist to reboot the story.**

 **Also, I thought that the balance between them was not quite right. Sakura had all these weird experiences through time and Tobi just had lived his life up to that point in one chronological line. So I will try to balance them out a bit.**

 **Also I really like happy endings, so don't you worry! I will update some time in the future. Thanks for all the reviews guys! Keep them coming!**

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10\. Waking up never felt more pleasant...

Waking up never felt more pleasant than that particular morning. The sunlight warmed them as they lay in an intimate heap, hairs tickling each other's noses. He grunted and she couldn't help but grin. He opened one eye to look at her, his mind suddenly alert.

Then his arm snaked around her more thoroughly and he squeezed her into his chest, holding her possessively. She giggled. He silenced her with kisses, hands slowly reaching more intimate places and she felt her heartbeat speed up and her breath hitching. It was his turn to grin.

They fell into an easy routine after that. Training, patrolling, missions, late night dinners on the engawa, star gazing, drinking sake with Hashirama. She was happy and it felt like home. He felt like home.

And then there was that day in spring, when she approached Tobirama through a mass of Senju, Uchiha and other clan members. She wore a white traditional kimono which made her hair stand out like a beacon. Tobirama was standing stoic at the end of the path, his brother next to him. For once he was not wearing armor or shinobi clothes. His face was stern, like always. His emotionless eyes followed her approach, until her last steps.

For a few fleeting moments she saw his facade crumbling, eyes full with emotions that he could not speak and almost dared not feel.

With shaking hand he took hers, leaned over and whispered in her ear: "I am never going to let you go, kunoichi."

Over her shoulder he saw the Uchiha's and chuckled in himself. He stood up and looked at her, marvelling at her beauty. She was grinning at him while she whispered in his ear:

"I love you, silly Senju…". His face flushed and a small tear leaked from the corner of his eye.

For the private dinner in the evening together with Hashirama, she wore a willowgreen kimono with a gold, red and pink embroidered obi. When she entered the room, Tobirama could only stare at her, face flushed, not able to talk, until his brother nudged him with his elbow in his side.

They were tired from the day, slowly eating the simple but delicate dishes that the cooks prepared, sipping sake. After a while they took their leave from Hashirama, retiring to Tobirama's quarters. They walked through the garden in the moonlight. He held his hand out for her, while she stepped on the stone and onto the engawa. He pulled her close to him and suddenly she felt some apprehension. This was their wedding night, her first wedding night.

He said: "Why did you change kimono's?"

She smiled softly: "Well, the wedding kimono was for the clans and our official marriage in the outside world. But this kimono…" She softly caressed his lips with her own.

"This kimono…. this one is only for you."

He looked startled and then seriously at her. He took a deep shaking breath.

"Arigato…. you were beautiful this afternoon, but tonight you are absolutely stunning….Sakura…" he whispered her name in her ear, giving her goosebumps.

"I think I want to unpack my gift now…", he grinned in her neck. She smiled at him and turned around so he could reach the obi better.

"By all means, my husband, unpack your gift…"

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Life didn't change after that. The only thing that changed was their feeling for eachother. Their love grew deeper every day and that sometimes frightened her. The more she loved him, the more scared she was that it would all go away. The circumstances of her arrival in this time never left the back of her mind, or his for that matter. She had a deep fear that she would one day disappear and wake up on that battlefield in the future. They talked about that from time to time, but Tobirama felt helpless in consoling her since he had the same fears as she did.

And then, after a year of married life, their worst fear became reality. She just disappeared one day. And it broke him. Just as sudden as she appeared in his life, she left. He knew that it was not voluntarily. She loved him, he did not doubt it. Still, he knew that she did not belong in his time. It was a constant nagging feeling in the back of his mind. But he never wanted to believe that she would return to her time nevertheless.

He lost some days when it happened. His only recollection was darkness, pain, breaking wood, trees, running, crying, clawing in the earth and then apathy. Staring into the skies, lying on the ground feeling the cold seep into his body and bones, feeling the wind and rain. He wanted to end the pain and to exist no more. He did not want to recollect himself. But then his brother found him and picked him up, nursing him back to health. He did not have to ask, he knew and he felt his brother's pain like it was his own.

While he was physically mended, Hashirama knew that something in him was broken that he could not heal. He watched over him, suffering, since there was nothing he could do. He watched helplessly, seeing his beloved little brother working day and night, brooding at night on the roof of his house, taking unnecessary risks in any battle that he could find. He was broken. He did not speak her name. He did not shed one tear. He closed a part of himself for good.

It made him into a harsh Hokage. The death of Hashirama was the only event that managed to shake him. It gave him a purpose and he welcomed that. Even though he was devastated yet again by losing his last loved one, it saved him in a strange way. He became Hokage and he found some remnants of some other kind of love yet again in his heart. He loved his Konoha and his people with all his might. He gave all of himself to make sure the next generation would inherit his will of fire and keep the peace.

He build a hospital that would be worthy of 'her'. Her. He did not want his mind wander there any longer than necessary. Not thinking about her pink locks, her fiery kicks in training, her slender hard body underneath him… her moans. No. Her witty remarks, and her smile, only for him. NO!

When the day came that he was trapped with his students. He chose death over life easily. It was only logical. His students needed to survive, Konoha needed to survive. The will of fire had to pass on to the coming generations. And he would give his life for that.

Still, secretly he welcomed death. The long night where there would be no pain, no thoughts of her and what might have been. With his last breath he whispered her name….. and then there was nothing.

x

x

x

Edo Tensei is a dangerous technique, but Orochimaru performed it effortlessly and carelessly. His death felt like just moments ago and here he was in the Uchiha tomb, with his brother, Hiruzen and the Fourth Hokage, the Fourth! His mind worked furiously. He was alive once more and seemed to be brought back in the future. Hiruzen was old. While the conversations moved on he walked towards the wall and pressed his thumb and fingers to it. His hands sweating, heart hammering in his chest. He sent out his chakra. And there he felt it, her chakra!

x

x

x

 **Yes, major cliffhanger. I know and I am sorry... :) C u next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**To be nice to y'all: a short one. Really short one... I am still working the plot out... so I am afraid to post too much with the risk that I need to edit later on...**

11\. He was speeding towards the battlefield. Her chakra….

He was speeding towards the battlefield. Her chakra was like a lit beacon ahead of him. He vaguely noticed that the speed of that young Yondaime was incredible and he heard Hiruzen chuckling and mumble something about a Yellow Flash.

He was too distracted to give it any more notice. He was moving at a steady pace, heart hammering in his chest. He felt hesitant, uncertain if he felt fear or eagerness. He didn't know if she would recognize him, maybe her disappearance had not come to pass yet. It made sense since the battle was still raging on and he was present just like she told him he would be. He felt reluctant to speed up and he sensed the Yondaime arriving at the battlefield already. He felt like he was stuck in an endless moment in time, on the edge of a knife.

Feelings that were buried deep inside him stirred and he suddenly felt afraid. Afraid to lose himself completely, to feel his carefully build up control chatter and too feel the clutches of despair once again.

Beside him his brother moved. He noticed his eyes peering at him and he glanced sidewards and gave him a small smile: "It is good to see you again brother."

Hashirama smiled and nodded, but underneath the smile he seemed worried: "Brother, do you fear seeing her?"

Tobirama's heart faltered. That was Hashirama for you, a complete oblivious dumbass most of the time, with these uncanny intelligent insights in other people's mind and feelings, especially his. Tobirama felt unnerved and sighed then. Time was too precious now to be beating around the bush: "Yes… I am scared. Brother, what if she doesn't recognize me?"

"She will brother. And if she doesn't, she will in the near future when she returns from our time. Have faith, brother and let's focus on this battle. Whatever the outcome of your reunion with Sakura, first she needs our aid in this desperate battle."

Tobirama nodded and steeled himself. Hashirama was right. If he fell apart on the eve of battle, he would be useless and his involvement in this battle would be missed, maybe with disastrous effects.

When he landed on the battlefield and Hiruzen made a remark on Yondaime's speed he felt the warmth of her chakra in his back. As if he was pulled by a magnet, he slowly turned, arms defensively crossed over his chest and then he locked eyes with her.

He felt his emotions choking him, his eyes glued to her small form. She wore the same shinobi outfit that he found her in, a lifetime ago. Her hair was cut short. She was bloodied and dirty, but her eyes shone with a fierce determination. Her beauty felt like a stab in his heart. While he locked eyes with her he saw no recognition in them, only amazement at the appearance of the Nidaime Hokage.

His despair ate its way through his heart, making him momentarily sick. He tried to hold it down, to fight the urge to cry and run to her and hold her. He tried to control his mind and despair and forced himself to face the battle. He was a shinobi first. Even though these were not his people technically, he was still their Nidaime Hokage.

He took deep meditative breaths and steeled his heart, locking his emotions away. A familiar feeling that he practised so many times over the years.

And then he faced his enemy.


	12. Chapter 12

**There you have it: I shamelessly adapted the original story for my own need. Konoha is miraculously untouched by the destruction of it, Tobirama gets second chances just like that and Sakura is missing in the end game of the war. Oh well, plenty of bottomless plot holes to complain about, but hopefully with pleasant reading material as a result. Reviews are most welcome as always!**

 **12\. He could no longer feel her chakra and it made him….**

He could no longer feel her chakra and it made him desperate. Hashirama's last respects to Madara shook some feeling back into his system. His throat clenched. Madara's atonement was late but sincere and a feeling of shame overtook him. Shame that he lacked Hashirama's faith in the power of good. Madara left this world as a warrior with honour in the end, and Tobirama, to his own astonishment, could not feel anything other than respect for his fallen enemy.

Hashirama's eyes held pain and peace at the same time. They locked eyes. Brother nodded to brother, no words were necessary. Tobirama knew that his _anija_ had faith in his ordeal. He believed that Sakura would find him again. Just like that. Even now. Tobirama did not have such faith. Despair tugged at his heart. He felt Hashirama's chakra slip away for the second time in his life. The thought that he would soon join him was maddening but strangely soothing. If not in this world he would meet her in the afterlife. Tobirama waited feeling crushed by a raging storm of emotions. He hoped that the pain of her absence would be replaced by some peace soon.

There was no peace. While the others stared at Naruto and the Yondaime, he felt Hagomoro's eyes resting on him. His look was piercing and when the Yondaime departed, Hagomoro seemed in deep thought. After a pregnant silence he said softly: "Nidaime. There seems to be some loose ends in your timeline. Please, do not worry about the cherry blossom. She will return in due time."

Tobirama felt his mouth open. _How? How did the Sage know of this?_ He vaguely registered Kakashi's surprised look at the words of Hagomoro. Cherry blossom could only apply to one person. He seemed to realise there was something important happening to Sakura and he seemed mainly relieved that she was alive somewhere. Nevertheless he eyed Tobirama curiously.

"How do you… is she…." he was stammering, like a kid.… his hands shaking.

"Nidaime, I sense what my mother did and see the ripples in time itself. Somehow she nullified the precautions that you both took for the sake of the future. However, there seems to be one change that she could not touch or alter. You will stay in Konoha to await her return. Time is meddling with her arrival. Although my mother is powerless now, the aftereffects on Sakura are still in effect and quite unpredictable. To give you time, I will use the loophole you created in the Edo Tensei technique. Make use of this second life Nidaime, pass on the Will of Fire once again." The old man nodded one last time and Tobirama could only bow in respect, his mind racing. _What did the old man mean? What change was not nullified?_

He felt an immense chakra entering his body setting him on fire. When the sensation disappeared he stared in disbelief to his arms. The skin was pink, blood running through it. He felt alive! Very much alive! Somehow, Hagomoro solved the dead end that he tried to overcome while perfecting the Edo-Tensei technique, so many years ago. He build in a loophole for the future, in his own body as well as in the construction of the technique itself. He hoped that the next generations would be able to take his technique one step further. The Sage took this step further in just one try! Unbelievable! He stared at his hands. With every breath that he drew, every warm breath, he felt hope surfacing deep from within himself. _He was given time, time to wait for her._ He exhaled, trying to subdue the euphoria that bubbled up in him. _He was alive! And Hagomoro knew that she would return!_

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Some time later he was standing in his old office, facing his irritated niece. She was tapping with her fingers impatiently at her desk looking at him with disgust. He ignored her mood and just stood there, arms crossed, waiting for her to stop beating around the bush.

"How do you feel uncle?" she almost spat.

"Alive." he stated while examining her face.

"Yes, uncle. I would like to know how that is possible. Your cells seem to have be regenerating after the edo-tensei ended. Care to explain?"

He shrugged: "I might have tempered with my body on a cellular level…"

"Really." She looked at him pointedly.

He had the decency to look slightly flustered. "Well, I was working on Edo-Tensei and just felt like I had to try out some modifications to improve the technique…."

"Improve?" her voice got a steel quality.

"Hashirama did not want me to use human test subjects Tsuna. What do you expect of me?"

She sighed and then snorted. "Your methods were always unethical uncle. It is a miracle that you remained on the side of the good guys."

He crossed his arms over his chest looking stern: "What do you insinuate, Hime? It was Hagomoro that took the necessary last step."

She narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth: "Let's just say that after your unethical research my teammate did cross boundaries that you still respected. You cleared a path for his disgusting practices. It was Orochimaru, the shinobi that raised you from the dead the second time."

He looked at her questioningly: "Second time?"

"Yes, Orochimaru summoned you and grandfather to fight Sarutobi-sama. You probably don't remember because he suppressed your identities and free will."

Tobirama gritted his teeth, his temper flaring. The insolence of it!

Tsunade seemed to hesitate, eyes guarded.

"And grandfather?" She looked at her hands.

"He is gone"

She swallowed audibly. Tears shimmering in her eyes: "I see…" Silence filled the room while she took time to recompose herself. He looked out of the window thoughtfully. He felt restless, a caged tiger. He needed to find her, but that was a useless exercise. He had no idea when or where she would resurface! _It could be years from now!_

He looked at his now adult niece. It seemed a lifetime ago that she was full of mischief, bouncing on his knee, demanding a horse ride and setting Hashirama's paperwork on fire in the backyard. He chuckled. "Do not mourn your grandfather, Hime. You have grown up fine, he is very proud of you. You wear the title of Hokage with dignity." In a very un-Tobirama like fashion his leaned forward and ruffled her hair. She laughed her tears away and blushed slightly.

"That idiot managed to befriend Madara once again before the end." He said it thoughtfully. "Madara, died…. with honour. Hashirama died a second time knowing that his friend was on the right path once again. They both went peaceful."

Tsunade blinked at him and nodded: "That gives me some peace as well, uncle. And how about your peace? Why are you still here? Why did Hagomoro regenerate your body?"

The question was legitimate and being a man of action, he decided that the best course to take was to share his information with her, just as Sakura did with him when she stranded in his time. She trusted him because they both served Konoha, they were family in some sense, and this was even more literally the case with Tsunade as well.

Tsunade silently listened, no emotion visible on her face. Her uncle spilled his heart and she could not evade the impression that he had been hiding this story from others and himself since the death of her grandfather such a long time ago. It felt odd, hearing him talking about private affairs. Her only memories of him were childhood memories, a stern uncle, secretly laughing at her mischief, a harsh trainer. He was responsible for honing her chakra control. But now, now here he was talking to her as an equal. He made a quick decision to entrust her with his very personal ordeal and she would not betray that trust. She started drinking sake halfway and he joined her while talking.

It felt odd to express his feelings for the apprentice of his grandniece and confessing their marital state. He felt so much older than when he fell in love with her, he was a young man then. Not worthy yet of the Hokage title. He felt that he needed his grand-niece's blessing. He married Sakura without anyone's permission but Hashirama's, since she was alone in his time. It had always felt like a wrongdoing to her. Even though she laughed it away, saying he was old fashioned. He had a vague fear that his niece would not be willing to give her blessing, but he could not sense any disgust or anger in Tsunade's demeanor, only acceptance of the truth of his words no matter how awkward.

When silence filled the office, giving room to the chirping of birds from outside, she had a frown on her face. After a while she stated: "Uncle, Sakura's marital state comes as a bolt from the blue. I must say that my instincts scream at me that it is unnatural that she is married to my great uncle. You are now almost the same age as grandfather!"

She took a sip of her sake, casting her eyes down and then looking him straight in the eyes: "She is … precious… to me, more than I can express, uncle. She is the child that I never had."

She continued carefully after a short silence: "But…. if anyone deserves her, it is you and not that bloody Uchiha boy that she had a crush on her whole life. So you have my blessing." She smiled at him. He looked flustered, with a very faint blush colouring his pale cheeks.

Trying to regain his composure he regarded her seriously: "Thank you, Hime, that means more to me than I can express."

She nodded and sighed: "I feel relieved to hear your story Uncle. This gives me hope."

"Hime, keep this hope close to your heart. She now is in my time, getting to know me and saving the future, trying to prevent this war. She misses you terribly, but will find happiness there."

He stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To find her."

Tsunade seemed to understand the workings in her uncle's brain but eyed him suspiciously: "Uncle, you just fought in the greatest shinobi battle of all time. Your injuries are healed by Hagomoro, but you are still exhausted. Your chakra levels are only at quarter capacity. You need to sleep first. Anyway, there is no guarantee that she will resurface anytime soon. Why don't you find a bed."

He stared at her hard. She didn't even blink.

After a while he shrugged and sighed: "Are my quarters still available?"

She stared back at him, an idea forming in her head. She got up from behind her desk, walking towards the door. "Follow me, uncle. I will take a small lunch break with you."

They walked through the streets of Konoha, shocking the citizens with the appearance of the Nidaime Hokage, alive and well, in his trademark outfit. Tobirama ignored the attention, too tired to care at all. He followed Tsunade to a few market stands where she bought rice, vegetables, soy, katsuobushi, green tea and tofu. He felt detached from the normality of the place, eyeing his surroundings mesmerized. It felt unreal to him. He vaguely realised that the constant battle that he was in from the last days of his life until the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, was the cause of this strange feeling. He knew that it would slowly change in time. But for now he could not get in touch with his surroundings, experiencing the world like a movie in a theatre.

Slowly they walked through the streets, wandering off to buildings that stood a bit aside from the centre of town. The town was still a chaos. Food was available, but there was a lot to repair and to re-organize. He looked around at the buildings with mild curiosity. These additions were new and he was not familiar with them yet. Why was Tsuna bringing him here?

She stopped before a greenish apartment building, taking out a pair of keys. She opened the front door and climbed the stairs. At the third flight, she opened another door, stepping into a small apartment. It smelled dusty. He stood with Tsunade in the tiny hallway, wondering why he was here.

"Tsuna, you do not live in the Senju compound any more?"

"Yes, uncle I do."

"Why are we here Tsuna? What is this place?"

Tsunade looked at her uncle carefully before she spoke: "I thought it would be best to bring you home, uncle. At least the closest you can get to home."

He frowned at her, not understanding.

"This is Sakura's apartment".

She watched her uncle trying to hold his composure but failing. All sorrow of the past years slammed into him, forcing his emotions to the surface. He stumbled backwards, leaning with his back into the wall for support. To his own surprise he felt tears leaking from his eyes. Tsunade hugged him, kissed his cheek and softly put the groceries in the hallway, leaving him alone with his grief. He barely registered the faint click of the door closing behind her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry guys, a short one. All the energy goes to finding a good plot with this story. Amazingly difficult for some reason. Please review or give me suggestions on how they must find each other again?**

 **13\. When his tears subsided and the emotions became….**

When the tears subsided and the emotions became controllable again he stood up slowly, his hand seeking support on the wall. He hesitated, the silence of the hallway deafening, causing a peep in his ears. When he finally laid his hand on the door handle, he realised he still had his sandals on. He removed them slowly, putting them underneath some coat hangers that hung on some metal hooks on the wall. He removed his armor and it fell with a heavy thud to the floor. He shoved it close to she shoes, uncertain if the hooks would be able to hold the weight. The happuri balanced precariously on top of the pile of metal; a lean silhouette against the empty wall.

Standing there barefoot on the threshold of a place that was so close to home, to her, he felt like he had not felt in years. He felt a bit like himself. Not the harsh Hokage, not senpai or sensei, not a grieving widower, not the broken lover. He felt like Tobirama and life seemed a tiny bit brighter.

Slowly he entered the livingroom. The house smelled faintly of her and it threatened to release his emotions a second time. He fell into a business-like emotionless mode, checking his surroundings with a certain suspicious reserve. Scanning for traps or intruders. But it was empty, no traps except for the ones at the windows. He had forgotten that she grew up in peaceful times, no need for excessive security.

The house was minimal decorated, a typical ninja trait, since shinobi are gone from home a great deal of time. On the coconut fibre carpet stood a low light coloured wooden table with two grey cushions. On the white wall on the left, a wooden bookshelf with a few books, a woodprint of two samurai fighting. The long side of the room was made of glass sliding doors that showed a wooden terrace without a fence, which made a clear vista over Konoha possible.

Next to a doorway that led further into the house, weapons were hanging from the wall, as neatly stacked as his own, a few of them missing. He fingered them while peering into a small wooden box hanging underneath that contained maintenance materials. He smiled thinking of his own quarters. She never showed any displeasure at the spartan interior or weapons hanging next to their bed. This used to surprise him. He expected an infiltration of womanly decorative items, but with Sakura this never happened. He never questioned her about it, feeling satisfied that she was apparently content with their living quarters as they were. But now he understood that it must have made her feel like home.

Her bedroom had the same carpet made of coconut fibre, but indigo dyed curtains and a simple deep chestnut brown dresser. There was a double futon rolled up in the corner. Hesitantly he opened the dresser, feeling an intruder. He found two of her trademark red dresses with the Haruno mark on them. He buried his nose in them, smelling her typical body scent. He choked on his feelings that threatened to overpower him. He quickly folded them and put them back, fingering through the rest of the clothing. Black shinobi clothing, a konoha forehead protector and underwear that made him grin and speed up his heart rate. He relished her scent whenever he detected a whiff of it.

Standing next to the futon, he noticed a picture in a wooden frame next to it on the floor. It was a picture of her team, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi, he recognized them easily, having fought alongside them on the battlefield. He couldn't help but smile at this young and silly girl. She looked everything that she promised she would look when she had told him about her mindless crush on Sasuke and her constant fear of fighting. Her happy and innocent face brought the pain back to the surface and he quickly exited the room.

He needed to do something, so he padded back towards the hallway, getting the groceries, finding his way to a spartan looking kitchen, equipped with the bare minimum. He cooked rice and eggplant, seasoning them with some slivers of katsuobushi and a splash of soy. He chewed his food slowly, relishing the simple flavors. It seemed to quiet his senses, filling his body with a slow warmth. His mind wandered to his predicament. He lost her through time, but he felt her close by being in her apartment, smelling her, seeing her possessions around him. He felt more at peace than he had for years. He silently thanked his niece for her clear insight to bring him here.

After dinner, he felt an intense exhaustion overtake him, as if all the years of grief finally caught up. He left the dishes for what they were, stumbled towards the bedroom, put the futon and blankets down. He did not have the energy to undress and just collapsed on the bed. He felt tears again, her smell was everywhere, she seemed so close that he could almost touch her. Would he ever hold her again? He surrendered to his grief, too tired to fight it.

He was vaguely surprised that even after all these years, he still hadn't given up hope, hope to find her somehow. But for now he gave into the tears that burned the inside of his skull, feeling pathetic. And then there was only a dark abyss with no memories of her, no pain and no joy.


	14. Chapter 14

**14\. It was unbearable. The memory of her...**

It was unbearable. The memory of her. Every inch of her apartment breathed her presence. His being a man of reason and calculation, being a shinobi and a Senju warrior excluded any emotional display. He just could not process it, he tried to keep control, but the impact of her memories, scent and material things was just too much. He asked his niece for another place to stay. Any place would do.

The light was filtered by bamboo blindings in the Hokage tower. The sun still heated the air in the room to an uncomfortable warmth. He stood, dressed in black, leaning against one of the walls, arms crossed, eyes averted to the ground.

"Your quarters and Hashirama's are untouched, uncle. You are welcome to make a home there."

He grunted in acknowledgement, grateful to have his old home back. He could hide in the Senju compound, have some peace and quiet.

"How will you come by in the village uncle? Are you available for active duty?" A playful smile graced her lips.

Active duty? It felt like an alien concept. Active duty was literally a lifetime ago. He had been Hokage for such a long time, that active duty seemed …. Just odd.

"I will be available for counsel." He looked at her then: "I have to be available at all times for when she returns."

Tsunade nodded. She understood.

Tobirama seemed to think: "Hime, I wish to stay low for a while. I do not want the village to know that I am back. When she returns, I want to speak with her myself. I need see for myself if she has any recollection of our time together." He paused. "If she really is my wife." He clasped his jaws together forcefully at that thought, the muscles in his cheeks working furiously.

"What do you mean uncle?"

"We do not know what Kaguya has done to her. Hagomoro talked of one thing that she could not change. I do not know how she tampered with Sakura or what the consequences are of this time travelling. We must be vigilant."

Tsunade frowned. "That is a serious concern. I haven't thought of such a possibility yet." She took a piece of paper and pencil from her desk. "I just hope that she will be alright."

"For your information uncle, I will step down in the next few days. But I will make sure to pass these wishes on to my successor. It will be executed to the letter."

"Step down?" he looked mildly surprised.

"I feel tired uncle. You must know what that feels like. Konoha survived. Naruto saved the day. Now it is time for the next generation to take over." She started to write on the paper.

"Indeed I know what it feels like…." he hesitated. "My way of acting on that feeling was somewhat different." a minuscule tug of the corner of his mouth betrayed the fact that he was making a small joke.

Tsunade's mind was elsewhere. "I never wanted to be Hokage, but I did it because there was nobody else to take the title. I felt incompetent, as if I was badly performing somebody else's part." she fell silent.

Tobirama waited for her to continue.

"I saw Dan during the war. He was reanimated.."

"Katō Dan? Hnnh… he was a good kid." He looked at her questioningly.

"He was my life. I knew after I talked to him, that there was no mistake being made. I was born to be Hokage. Nobody else could have done it better. So… at the end of this burden...I feel at peace uncle. It is time to step down."

When she was done writing she looked up at him smiling. He returned her smile with a small one of his own. "It seems you are taking the correct path Tsuna."

She nodded, putting the paper onto a large stack of others at the end of the desk.

"Hatake?"

"Yes, of course uncle. Who else?"

"Hnh. Indeed. He is capable. But is he ready?"

She huffed: "Well, as long as he doesn't read too much porn in public. He will be ok. The Elders agreed. And I have chosen the best advisor for him."

"Ah. That Nara kid right? Good choice."

"And you uncle, if you are willing? The Elders are getting pushy already about this."

He thought about it. "He can seek me out at the Senju compound. I do not wish to be an advisor openly. It would give too much trouble for me but also in the dynamics with the Elders."

"Agreed uncle. I will see if I can get some sense into their thick skulls", she scowled. "It will be troublesome to make them keep your presence a secret."

He chuckled: "Not much has changed then has it? Interestingly, I outweigh the Elders in age and experience now. If they give you any trouble I can step in. Just let me know."

She blinked at him. Realising again how odd his presence was here. Because he was her uncle, she kept forgetting that he was also one of the legendary founders of this village and invented almost everything that she held dear. Her strategic mind assessed the advantages of it quickly. Yes, his presence could become very useful for her and for Kakashi as well.

That night he went to his old quarters in the Senju compound. Tsunade had arranged a clean-up team and a new fuuton and blankets. Every detail of the rooms was well kept. The tatami and shoji doors were apparently restored or replaced. It smelled crisp.

When he took a stroll around the compound after he disposed of his armour and happuri, he felt like he stepped into a time capsule. The compound had changed little. The most significant change was the total absence of servants or other clan members.

It was only Tsunade and himself, occupying two of the buildings. The rest was empty, furniture covered in white cotton sheets. The gardens were neglected or just covered in gravel to keep maintenance low. The house where Tsunade resided, the main house, was well kept. He suspected that she hired a maintenance team from time to time.

The lack of sounds from people or animals made the place eerie. Echo's bounced off the empty buildings. The sound irritated him. A constant reminder of what he lost and of what he was; a man lost in time. He moved through his memories like a whisper, trying not to evoke those haunting empty sounds.

He crossed the empty training grounds. The gravel at his feet fed his memories with images of his brothers, laughing, fighting. And of her. No. He did not want to go there in his mind. He gritted his teeth.

He jumped on the roof of the next large building and after a short run over rooftops, jumped gracefully on his own engawa again. He slowly removed his slippers and put them on the stepping stone.

What happened to the Senju clan? Where were all the relatives of the main and the side branches? Why was nobody living here anymore? He would ask Tsunade in the morning. He opened the shoji doors. His weaponry shone in the light. The happuri was hanging on its custom made support once again. He rolled out his new futon and blankets and lay down in his clothing. He had left the shoji doors open, moonlight brightened the lower half of his blankets. The garden was the only reminder of the fact that he was in the future. It was a mere shadow of the peaceful green sanctuary that he enjoyed so many nights with her. He stopped his thought right there. He would not think of her. He tried to meditate while lying down. Forcing his mind on one thought. After a while he fell into an uneasy sleep.

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They had an easygoing co-existence. They didn't meet when they didn't want to. But occasionally they would sip tea or sake on the engawa, either his or hers. She occupied the house of his parents on the other side of the compound. She made some alterations that made it actually look modern inside. The kitchen had floor heating and modern equipment. There was a shower and bath. And she moved the library out of the house into a separate building. He was relieved to discover it and spend many hours doing research on space-time jutsu, relishing the smell of mouldy paper and dust. He hoped to gain some information on Kaguya's technique and the effects of it. It took his mind of waiting.

Kakashi consulted him on political matters occasionally and after some time he enjoyed those meetings with him. He smiled inwardly at Kakashi's obvious nervousness around him the first time. On the battlefield there had been no time to consider rank or seniority. But face to face in a non-battle situation Kakashi seemed self-conscious. Their worlds were further apart than was even possible. But that distance vanished when they talked about Sakura. She seemed to dissolve all time barriers whenever the conversation steered into her direction.

Kakashi seemed taken aback with the realisation that his pupil was married to his own superior. It bothered him knowing so little of his students experiences in the past. When she would return he needed to come to terms with her new situation in life. It felt extremely impolite, but he wanted to be prepared so he decided to confront him about her.

"Nidaime-sama. Please… tell me how you met Sakura? It seems odd that I know nothing of such an important episode of her life." He smiled with his eyes, rubbing his hand behind his back through his grey mop of hair, nervously.

Instead of being barked at. Tobirama just stared at the night sky and sipped his sake. He was thinking about the question. His first reaction was to be insulted by the directness of his request. But quickly he realised that the request came from the genuine concern for Sakura's wellbeing. He felt that he had to talk about her. It felt almost like a confession. "Hatake-san. You being her superior, I understand your concern. I will gladly share this story."

He fell quiet for a while, then he spoke into the night with a quiet voice: "When I married her, there was nobody to give her away or to ask permission. If she would get married now, you would be the one to give her away since her parents are no longer here, correct?"

"As her male superior I guess that would be my duty, yes."

He nodded. "Hnn… it always bothered me, it still does. I come from a different time. It felt as if I was doing her injustice. She said I was old fashioned and laughed at me." he curved his mouth into a small smile. "She loved to tell me off actually."

Kakashi felt surprised at how casually the Nidaime was talking about her. He almost seemed like a regular guy. He smiled beneath his mask. "That sounds like her yes."

"I noticed her chakra one day when I was patrolling in the woods. She was wounded and mentally traumatised from a big fight, so much was obvious. I was suspicious of her immediately. She seemed to recognize me, mumbling Nidaime-sama and she seemed to instinctively know how my brain worked. She just knew that I would be suspicious of her no matter what she would tell me. Her wounds were from battle, she wore a strange hitai-ate from the Allied Shinobi Forces. She seemed out of place in a fundamental way. And she realised soon that she could only convince me by telling me the truth, however unlikely. She trusted me from the beginning. I guess since I was, no matter what the time distance was, a reminder of home." He looked in the distance.

"She had an impact on me from the minute we met. I was young then. A young man, but severely scarred by a lifetime of war and pain. Our dream of peace seemed far away and at times impossible. I did not let people come close to me, after the death of my two younger brothers I build a wall around my emotions. A wall that only Hashirama could penetrate. I tried to not feel, feeling was painful. But she… she just appeared in that forest and she walked straight into my heart. And apparently I in hers." He grinned.

"Hashirama loved her from the first minute. But we had a war to prevent. We made plans together and we waited for the big battle for months. We got to know each other. I must confess, she slept in my bed. She was haunted by war trauma. Particularly the death of Hyuuga Neji. With her strength it was dangerous to let her sleep alone. It was a … practical arrangement and we tried to keep it a secret from the clan due to gossip."

"Gossip?"

"Yes gossip. Living in a clan compound can be tiresome. The social cohesion has its benefits but also downsides. And there was a lot of gossip about her. But thankfully not in that way. The first time we went sparring, I underestimated her severely. To my defence, I never saw a kunoichi. She beat me to a bloody pulp until I managed to throw her in the river. That raised questions with the clan. Also her healing power got noticed. Our bond grew during the months that we were waiting. We enjoyed sparring together. I started to respect her as a shinobi. You taught her well Hatake-san." He turned to look at Kakashi, who stared back at him, mesmerized at the story. Tobirama seemed to be suddenly made of flesh and blood. He was no longer that stone face in the rocks.

"I hope I did. I should have taught her more. But Sasuke took all my attention."

"That was expected. You made the right call."

"I still think I failed her, like I failed others."

"You turned her into an excellent shinobi. She is a intelligent fighter and uses many strategic layers into her tactics. Also she sees through most strategic moves of her opponents. That is your trait, not Tsunade's. You are very important for her."

Kakashi smiled. "I am relieved. She was the easiest student. Although her crush on Sasuke was infuriating."

Tobirama ignored the last comment and continued: "Our bond grew and we fell into an easy routine of living together. And then the war started. On the battlefield we executed the plan to take Uchiha Izuna alive instead of letting him die. We hoped to divert Madara's despair that way. But the way she executed the plan stopped my heart on the battlefield. She died under my very nose. She did that on purpose, but she had no time to explain it to me. I realised only when her blood was soaking my knees that I loved her. That feeling never left me. And with so many good looking Uchiha bachelors on the loose after peace was made I needed to secure her. I asked for Hashirama's consent that very evening. And a few months after the battle we married. It was the most beautiful day of my life. The day that I could openly acknowledge her as my wife." He took another sip of sake.

"The time after that just flashed past us. We enjoyed each other's company. Times were busy with all the work that needed to be done in the village. We always had a silent agreement that we would not discuss the fear that was deep within our hearts: what if she would be pulled back to the future?"

He took another sip of sake.

"And then she disappeared."

They fell silent for some time. Just looking at the stars.

Tobirama felt relieved that he told Kakashi his story. It felt somewhat like a confession. It was comforting that now two people knew of their history together. It made his memories more real.

"It seems that she found her match in you Nidaime-sama. Your bond seems genuine and is based on mutual respect. Sasuke never respected her. He only knew how to hurt her."

At the mention of Sasuke, Tobirama frowned. "That Uchiha. If her stories are true…. " he growled to make his point.

"Sasuke seems calmer now since he and Naruto came to an …. understanding. They are always together. Sasuke seems a full Konoha shinobi once again. His intelligence work is priceless for us."

"Agreed. But he is still an Uchiha." Tobirama spat those last words. Kakashi chose to stay silent on that touchy subject. He knew the Nidaime's sentiment on this topic. He couldn't totally disagree.

Tobirama's thoughts halted on the thought of Uchiha Sasuke. He was more levelled out indeed. And a very good shinobi, if not the best after Naruto. A sliver of doubt popped up in his heart. What if she fell in love with him all over again?


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, a happy new year to you all!**

 **15\. She was hurled through undefined space. She felt movement but could not...**

She was hurled through undefined space. She felt movement but could not detect a whiff of air around her. It felt like she was in a closed vacuum space, travelling without moving. It disorientated her senses. She opened her eyes but there was nothing to see. It was unclear if there was light or darkness around her, she felt devoid of those senses.

When the strangeness around her became unbearable she collided with something solid and lost consciousness. After a while she smelled earth and pine trees. Her body ached. She tried to open her eyes and felt relieved that there was some light for her eyes to see. It seemed to be dusk and there was a definite feel of up and down. Gravity pulled at her body. A forest seemed to curve around her and for a fleeting moment the scene felt familiar. With a start she realised that this felt similar to the moment she was sent to the past. Her brain clicked into action immediately. _Where was she? This was not the battlefield in the future! Was she still in the past? Or was this a less violent future as a result of their efforts?_

The euphoria that bubbled deep within her at realising that they might have changed the future in a positive sense was immediately crushed under a sense of panic. Tobirama…. If this was the future… then she lost him forever. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain in her limbs. She frantically tried to sense his chakra in the vicinity. It took her a while to concentrate enough to focus her chakra. When she finally managed to control the increasing fear, she found nothing, not one chakra signal. The panic became real now and it choked her. _She should have at least felt some chakra signatures right? The Senju compound should be close by….. Why could she not feel any chakra?_

Her breathing became erratic: was she really back in her time? Just like when she was cast in the past, she had a sense of foreboding. She could feel it in her bones: she was no longer in the Warring State Era, but back home. The reality of her situation slammed into her and her legs gave out underneath her so that she sunk to the forest floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tobirama….. She lost him. She lost her strong warrior, she lost her love. She could still feel his calloused fingers on her skin where he touched her that morning. His smell was still on her body. The memory of his lips pressing against her own was still fresh and she desperately wanted to hold on to that feeling.

The emotions she felt were one big blur that she could not decipher. She felt like she was kicked in the stomach. A then a dark realisation captured her heart and she cried on the forest floor. Her fingers clawed in the earth as if they had a life of their own. Somehow the pain seemed to keep her mind sane and she welcomed it. After a while she just lay down in the dirt and let darkness take her.

The sharp sound of birds woke her just before the sun rose. She felt exhausted and cold. She tried to stand but a wave of nausea swept over her. Causing her to vomit on the forest floor before her. When she was done, she stood up shakily, looking around dazed.

Immediately her thoughts went to Tobirama. He was gone. He would have found her that same night if she was still in the past. His sensory skills were amazing. He marked her with his Hiraishin. There was no way that she could be gone for a whole night and him not finding her with his technique. Tears formed in her eyes again.

To her surprise she did not only felt grief, but mainly regret. They lived from day to day with no plans for the future. She felt bitter regret that apart from their marriage, she never made plans with him. Never talked about the future, about their relationship. She never confessed how deep her love for him really was, she always held back a tiny bit of herself, as if she was just waiting for the inevitable departure back to where she came from. Because that fear was always there. Always smouldering underneath their peaceful togetherness. He feared it to. But they never talked about it. What was there to say?

She wondered if she lived with him in the moment enough. Had she been torn between two worlds? No doubt there was some sentiment like that, but she could never confront him about these things now, never say sorry. And she cried for every opportunity that she missed or neglected, every minute that she was not fully present with that amazing man. What would she do? What could she do?

She had no way of knowing where Konoha was. So there was no option but to walk until she hit a town or road or encountered people. She would follow the sun, the sun would guide her south.

With shaking legs, she started and only stopped when the sun hung low in the sky, sending filtered light beams through the trees. She had hunted in the late afternoon, realizing she needed to eat in the evening. So she made a fire and enjoyed the warmth fanning over her face. And then she started to gut the rabbit that she caught with her kunai. Her empty stomach growled but another wave of nausea swept over her. She vomited again. When she was done she frowned. Was this a side effect from the time travel? She decided to leave the rabbit for the next day.

She lay down next to the warmth, staring into the flames, thinking about Tobirama. She couldn't help herself. What would his reaction be if he noticed her absence? Would he go looking or would he realise immediately what had happened? Would he think that she didn't love him anymore?

She felt tears stinging her eyes again. He must be heartbroken. She knew the depth of his love for her. He didn't speak of it, almost never said I love you plainly and clearly. But he didn't need to. It was the way he acted around her, the way he respected her as a kunoichi, as a medic, as a woman. It was the harshness of his eyes when he pushed her to the limits of her capabilities being replaced by pride when she made progress. His lingering gaze, staring at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. His hungry eyes at night, when he had her pinned beneath him on the futon or engawa in the moonlight, taking in her face and body. His clear ringing laughter, that made Hashirama smile in secret. His relish in their sparring sessions, the admiration that he tried to hide when she fought him with everything she got. His teasing to spark her temper and enjoyment in her childish behaviour. His patience with her trauma and grief, his warm arms and solemn words to comfort her and take her sorrow away. All these little things, just told her how deep his feelings for her went. He never needed words and neither did she.

But now she needed his words desperately.

What would he do if he was the one here in the forest? She knew all too well. He would have eaten the rabbit. She smiled. Nausea or no nausea.

The next day she woke up and still felt nauseous. She frowned. Was she getting sick? Did she eat something strange or was it a side effect from the manner in which she arrived in the forest? It didn't matter. She was in the wild and it would be inconvenient if she was to become sick. She sat down in a meditative pose and did a full body scan. There seemed to be no infection of virus present. But when she scanned her abdomen, she felt her heart skip a beat. There, in her womb, she detected two small heart beats, like the flutter of butterfly wings.

The forest around her seemed to swirl. Her head felt light and airy, her mouth dry. Pregnant? The life in her womb overwhelmed her, shocked her, leaving her breathless. She was a medic. How was it possible? She remembered their wonderful sex in the morning light. The shoji doors were open and a light breeze caressed their skin. Hardening their nipples, causing goosebumps. It was an amazing contrast to the heat they felt between their bodies. Everything about that morning was heated and intense. It felt like it was only yesterday. But it was an unreachable event in the past, a moment in time.

There was no room for happiness. It was as if the innocent life summoned a deep sense of despair. They would never meet their father. And he would never know of their existence. She felt a deep frustrating powerlessness. He would never hold them, teach them, never bring them to bed or comfort them if they cried. He would not see them be born. What should be one of the happiest discoveries in her life, felt like a sick joke. How ironic that she was with child and back in her own time. Was this Kaguya's revenge? The sickness returned with a vengeance and she ran to the shrubs to vomit again.

After a while she found her resolve again. He would want her to be strong. She needed to take care of herself, of the twins. The only action that made sense was to focus on the things in her life right now that she could control and be grateful that some part of him was still with her. It was a level of control that was only masking the sinking feeling that she felt within her.

Looking around she assessed her surroundings: she needed to find water and then a way out of the forest. She stood straight and sniffed the air around her. It was time to get a move on. And she jumped into the first tree next to her and took off with some speed towards the rising sun.

When she found water, she felt forced to cook it before drinking, now that she knew she was not only taking care of herself, but twins as well. It took frustratingly long to build a small fire to cook some water. She had it contained in a piece of bamboo that she collected. But it worked and after a awhile she felt a satisfactory warmth spreading through her body.

She continued moving through the trees, trying not to think about him. But while moving her mind had time to wander. Thoughts of him just entered her mind without her permission. His playful grin, his quick wit, his intellect, calloused hands on her skin, his harsh barking when he was training her and his lust-filled eyes in the nighttime when their duties were finished and they lost themselves in each other in the moonlight. She missed his strong arms around her when she was troubled or scared. And she was scared. So scared. She place a hand on her stomach and felt tears burn in her eyes. But she refused to cry. She would be strong.

When the darkness fell, she pushed herself for a few more kilometers. The night was clear and a large moon was hanging like an overripe melon in the sky. With a start she detected a light in the distance. She send out her chakra stealthily and detected one chakra signature. She hesitated for a while. She felt like standing on the threshold of some other dimension. Up till now she was lost in a timeless forest. She could be anywhere in any time. It was as if the reality of her situation was not materialized yet, but if she approached the person next to the fire she would finally know when and where she was. She would know with absolute certainty that he would be gone and she would have to face the consequences.

The nervousness gripped her by the throat. But she approached the light cautiously nevertheless. She could not stay ignorant. She had to know. She stalked through the darkness until she could see a small campfire in between the trees and she could make out a figure sitting next to it.

When she approached the fire, crawling on her belly, she wondered if it would be foe or friend. She had her kunai out, slowly moving, trying to be soundless.

Without a warming she felt a kunai being softly pressed against her throat. A low voice said: "That is far enough."

The voice sounded familiar and she tried to catch a glimpse of the man crouching behind her. The kunai pressed painfully against her neck. She moved her head slowly as to not aggravate him. She heard a sharp intake of breath. She saw black hair, onyx eyes, and: "Sasuke-kun?"

"Sakura?"

An emotion that she could not place forced itself on her. A cry was clawing out of her chest when she threw herself in his arms. She was vaguely aware that he returned the gesture, holding her tight.


	16. Chapter 16

**Another chapter lovely readers. And with the help of my lovely friend** _ **damnednation;**_ **thank you for making this story improve! Ok, enjoy this chapter for there is a rogue Uchiha on the loose, trying to steal lonesome hearts! And please review. You have no idea how much that helps me writing.**

 **15\. When the first burst of emotion faded, they sat in silence...**

When the first burst of emotion faded, they sat in silence locked in an embrace that was seemingly intimate. She just sat there in his arms, relishing his warmth and presence. After what seemed like a lifetime, his cool and emotionless voice sounded just as she had remembered it.

"Sakura, where have you been?"

In the midst of her emotional turmoil she felt strangely confused: "Where have I been?" She untangled herself from his embrace and stared at him. "You mean, where have _you_ been?"

"I have been here on a mission by Kakashi's orders." His smooth voice answered and reminded her that he was still a man of few words, nothing new there.

She pressed on: "Mission? Kakashi?" and then realisation hit her. She felt her jaw drop and stared at him amazed. "How? And why…"

He held up his hand to silence her. "Let's get you warm first."

They sat facing each other as she chewed on a small strip of almost burned rabbit that Sasuke had caught. Even as she felt the nausea fighting its way up her throat, she forced herself to eat and flushed it down with water. As she filled her stomach with the game, the creeping nausea slowly disappeared until it was nothing more than a bleak memory in the back of her mind.

She kept staring at him, she couldn't help it. Sasuke in return, didn't acknowledge her but stared ahead into the fire. As she studied him she noticed small details about him. His face had changed so much!

Lines as if etched in his skin, traced his finely chiseled features. Fine lines that expressed hardship and suffering and made him look matured and wise. They also betrayed the depth of his emotional life, he was no longer that angry and aloof boy, but a man that grew up through hardship and experience. His eyes had not changed: an intense black that seemed to absorb light instead of reflecting it. Those eyes still did not betray the workings of his mind, but they made him look as she remembered him: painfully handsome.

Sitting face to face with each other, there was another feature that stood out. A significant calm about him that felt uncharacteristic. No restless impatience with his surroundings that used to reside within him. He now reminded her of the two older Uchiha: Madara and Izuna.

His character seemed whole and well balanced as it was before his adulthood. Calm but with a hidden power; young but with wisdom edging behind his lashes. She realised with a start that this was what he would have been like if Itachi didn't kill the Uchiha clan and traumatised him. Could it be that saving Izuna resulted in this? In a whole Sasuke? Would the massacre be averted? She felt a rolling tension take over her body.

"Sasuke-kun, why are you on a mission for Konoha? Are you a Konoha ninja again? What happened in the war?"

"I am. We beat Madara and Kaguya," his emotionless face changed when he lifted the corner of his mouth into a small grin, "and afterwards that dobe finally beat some sense in me. We have an … understanding..."

"Understanding?"She stared blankly at him.

"I guess you could say that I now acknowledge him as the better fighter and as my friend…." He said it softly as if he still couldn't believe it himself. His voice was tender when he spoke of Naruto.

She could only stare at him mesmerised by his words. What on earth? Naruto finally did it? He brought Sasuke back? She felt tears forming in her eyes. She lowered her head, ashamed of her emotions and scared to be disappointed by his reaction to them. She bit back her tears in the only way that she knew how to: with anger.

"Nani? You fought each other to the death? What an idiots!" Her eyebrow twisted dangerously. Her anger seeping out of her with killing intent.

"We were punished enough." He just stared at her with an unimpressed expression and then held up his left arm.

She analyzed it with her keen eye and noticed something off about it. It seemed like an artificial arm. She sat down next to him and grabbed it to sense the arm with her chakra. He let her do it silently. It was an artificial arm, but it seemed to be much more than that. She would ask Tsunade how she performed this miracle.

"And Itachi?"

His features grew grim as he stared into the fire, slowly recalling the last moments of his brother and the confession that he made. His face impassive while he disclosed this most intimate moment of his life with her.

Instead of sympathising with his loss, she found her brain working furiously as his confession proved that the massacre was not a myth. How was it possible? There was no effect of their plan. She felt tears breaching her resolve. It was all for nothing and they had risked so much.

"I am glad, Sasuke-kun," she paused for a minuteful second, trying to recollect herself but failing; " that you made peace with your brother, Naruto, and the village."

"Not willingly. The dobe is responsible for this outcome."

As if thinking about Naruto invoked the idea of Team Seven, Sasuke stared at her then, tentative, mistaking her tears for another emotion: "Sakura…I never had a chance to say this to you, but I am sorry. Sorry for everything."

She laughed through her tears: "You better be Uchiha. You hurt us, more than you know."

He looked at her with neutral eyes.

"But I am glad that you are at peace now. Can I call you my teammate again?" she felt a familiar fear bubbling in her stomach for his reaction.

"I guess you can, but I hope that we can be friends again as well." She felt some emotion stir deep inside, fluttering butterflies. Friends? How long did she wish for these words and more?

"Yeah.. friends would be good."

They fell silent and they both stared at the fire. The cold began to seep into her limbs and she shivered. Sasuke noticed out of the corner of his eye.

"I have a cape that can keep us both warm." She looked at him as he held out one arm, lifting his cape, inviting her but she hesitated for a moment.

The cold was undeniable and would become worse. If she was squirmish she would freeze this night. So she leaned into his warmth while he draped his mantle over the both of them. After a few awkward moments she let herself drift away, enveloped in his scent that reminded her of a youth long gone. She felt his hand drawing circles on her back which calmed her and made her drift off into darkness.

Sasuke sat there mesmerized with her in his arms. He was stunned to meet her like this, a chance meeting. She had been reported to be missing in action. Kakashi had been vague about the circumstances of her disappearance, but he always acted like she was just travelling about and could return any time.

What were the chances that he would find her like this, somewhere in the wilderness? And where had she been? He had not asked her yet. Her black shinobi clothing looked old fashioned. She wore a Senju-clan hitai-ate, which puzzled him to no end, and she looked exhausted and worn down. She did not volunteer information about her whereabouts yet but he decided to try and debrief her in the morning.

His thoughts went to the feeling of her small form clinging to him. It felt pleasant as she smelled nice. He realised with a start that he had missed her. Pushing her away with brutal force all these years made him feel regret for hurting her. He noticed a faint shimmer of hope deep inside himself. A hope that she would still care for him and her tears seemed to be proof of it. He hoped that they could become more than friends, even though he felt that he did not deserve it. He would be able to rebuild the Uchiha clan with her, a deeply rooted wish. He thought about Naruto and felt a small pang of regret, but then he took her into his arms a little bit tighter, sniffing in her scent, and relishing the feel of her body against his.

He would watch over her tonight and then bring her home tomorrow but in the meantime he would try to win her heart.

Beta'd by _damnednation_


	17. Chapter 17

**Here we go. More agony for Tobi…. Still no salvation in sight. Tobirama is getting scared now, irrationally so. What can I say. A lifetime of grief made him funny in his head.**

 **My thanks to** _ **damnednation who makes my writing better every time.**_

 **17\. She woke up in a cocoon of wonderful warmth that ...**

She woke up in a cocoon of wonderful warmth that provided momentary safety, "Tobi…?" she murmured softly. A sleepy low voice murmured: "Hnngh.. good morning…"

She jolted abruptly upright, startling the man next to her. The cape fell away and the cold morning air cut through her. With a shock she realised where she was and the sadness came back with a speed that sent a sinking feeling through the pit of her stomach into her legs.

Waking up in Sasuke's arms fooled her brain into believing she was back home in the arms of Tobirama. The cruel reality caught up with a vengeance.

When she saw Sasuke's raised eyebrows, she realized her mistake and she quickly steeled her emotions, hiding behind a pleasant mask. He was a shinobi after all, but at least she was with a friend and not an enemy. If she had to fight Sasuke in her current distraught state, she would most likely loose.

Thankfully, he did not pry and she did not elaborate on her obvious distress. They put out the remnants of the fire and started moving through the trees at an easy pace. She felt his eyes on her occasionally.

After a few kilometres she asked: "How far is Konoha?"

"A week, maybe eight days."

She fell silent at his response. Eight days. How was it possible that she ended up so far from Konoha! What did the Kaguya goddess have in mind? Her train of thought was interrupted by the one question that she dreaded.

"Sakura…. What happened to you?"

She had anticipated it, but it caught her off guard nevertheless. It must be weird for him to encounter her here in the forest after she was reported missing. Would he think she deserted?

"First tell me. How long ago did we win the war?"

"A year."

A year? Her mind tried to make sense of the events, but she couldn't figure out what happened. The logical thing to happen, or at least what she expected would happen, was her return to the exact moment she had been cast into the past on the battlefield. A battlefield that would be changed for the better by her actions in the past. She disappeared from a certain moment in time. It felt logical that she would return to that exact spot when she was returned but this was not the case.

There seemed to be no logic behind her disappearance from the past and reappearance in the future. There was no plan behind it or maybe Kaguya's defeat caused the plan to go haywire? If her time travelling condition was dispelled then only chance hurdled her back through time. The mastermind behind it disappeared.

Through all her inner turmoil, she noticed Sasuke studying her face.

What would she tell him? He wasn't an enemy, she wanted to see him as her friend, but in truth, she did not know him at all. He left when she was just a pre-teen. Yes, she fought alongside him in the recent battle, and she fought against him in the fights they had in her youth. But she did not interact with him in any other way. For her, Uchiha Sasuke was an image and an idea, stuck in time and only more time could change that.

She didn't feel compelled to tell him about Tobirama. The grief she felt was too fresh and it all felt too private to share with him. She only wanted to disclose that information to Tsunade, the one she longed to talk to.

Also, it felt weird to talk to him about another man. She suspected that he remembered her feelings for him, and there was no doubt that there had been some bond between them. She wanted to close that chapter with him before she would tell him of her mariatial state.

She decided to keep her story simple and leave out Tobirama.

"Well, Kaguya managed to throw me back in time. I lived in the Warring States Era and met the Shodaime, Nidaime and Uchiha Madara and his brother Izuna. I was there for a little over two years until I was cast back here only the other day."

His eyes widened a fraction. "How?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It just happened. Kaguya manipulated space and time." And then she told him everything that happened to her, excluding her relationship with Tobirama. She lost Tobirama anyway, so there was time to get used to her new situation before she would share this part of herself with her friends and eventually him. The village would find out sooner or later.

Sasuke sensed that there was something that she was hiding from him. He was an intelligent shinobi after all, and he knew her well enough to sense that much. He figured that she would share with him when she was ready. She must feel confused and traumatized to be back home again. It was disturbing to hear her talk about Madara in such an easy manner. From her tales emerged a man that was powerful, but a good clan leader; honorable. He had been able to take away her doubts and fear of him and build peace together with her and the Senju brothers.

Sasuke's memory of Madara was his blade slicing through his abdomen without hesitation and his empty eyes, chiding him, like he was merely punishing a child for mischief. It felt odd and confronting to hear Sakura recalling fond memories of the same man. She had a good bond with him and seemed to be truly devastated that she would not see him again.

They travelled with ease and during the days, they opened up little by little to each other. At times it was pleasant to be in each others company even though Sasuke was still a humorless cold Uchiha, he seemed more relaxed than he had ever been. Giving small smiles here and there. They didn't encounter any shops on the road, so their intimate sleeping arrangement was repeated every night.

She caught him staring at her several times a day and she started to dread her instincts. Was he expecting her to feel the same for him as she felt as a girl! Could she be honest without destroying their friendship? She tried to keep her distance from him, but that was hard, since they were constantly together.

And then finally, they arrived at the gates of Konoha. She felt butterflies in her stomach. It was just as she remembered! She felt a incontrolable tremble in her legs. Anticipation soaring through her body.

He seemed to notice and wordless he caught her hand in his. It felt reassuring. His cold calloused hand holding her steady and seemed to ground her. The tremor in her legs stopped. She looked at him and smiled.

"I am home"

"Yes."

"Thank you"

He gave an almost invisible smile: "It was my pleasure."

She let go of his hand and prepared to jump the gates and search for her shishou. But Sasuke caught her wrist and pulled her back. He stared at her intently.

"Sakura…. I wish us to be more than friends." he fell silent unsure how to continue, a tiny faint blush coloring his cheeks.

She stared at him seriously. And then smiled at him brightly. "We are more than friends, we are teammates Sasuke!"

He kept her wrist in his. "You know what I mean."

She felt colour hitting her face. And then he vanished over the wall and into the town.

She kept staring at the place where he stood. Wondering.

Taking off into the city, she moved over the rooftops with stealth. She wondered if she successfully snuck past the ANBU or that they already reported back to Kakashi. While running, Sasuke's declaration at the gate kept playing in her head. It confused her immensely and she longed for simple things: her home, her bed, her own shower, and most important: fresh clothing.

She headed straight to her apartment. Her mind was a chaotic torrent of feelings and emotions. She was home, but home felt a bitter consolation for the loss that she experienced. She needed the calm and familiarity of her own things, her own bed. She needed to be alone for a bit before she confronted her shishou or her team or friends. They were waiting for her for over a year now. A day extra wouldn't matter.

Little did she know that when she stood at the gates, above her, crouched a figure on a tree branch. Balancing effortlessly and silent as a whisper. Tobirama gritted his teeth when he saw her cheeks changing to a slight pinkish color. He felt so angry that he almost jumped down to stomp the Uchiha in the ground for his insolence. That brat! How dare he touch his wife and say those things!

He had sensed her chakra the moment it appeared in this time. Since his return he checked the vicinity everyday while training in the forest, squatting down, fingers pressed into the earth, concentrating. He could not believe it at first. And after a while, when his sensory skills seemed to be accurate, he became scared. Fear was not the emotion that he expected. He expected to be thrilled, travelling towards her, testing his mark on her to see if it would still exist. But instead he felt an intense fear that kept him from running towards her.

It was childish, but he was scared to face her. He was scared for her reaction to him. He felt ancient, their marriage a distant memory. How much was distorted by years of grief and desperation? Did he still love her? Or did he love an idealised memory of her? Would she still love him? Or would she fall for that Uchiha brat that she pined for her whole life? He hated to admit it, but the boy was a formidable ninja and like all Uchiha's too handsome for his own good. Or maybe their relationship had been a way for her to cope with the loss she felt during her time in the past?

Fear clung to him and he felt like a teenager. For sheer self-preservation he put his carefully built walls in place around his emotions. He could not afford emotions. He needed to find her to see if she was alright. He would monitor her progress, her physical and mental state. A decision for the best course of action would have to wait after his assessment of the situation.

Her warm chakra was beckoning him through the trees, giving him the speed he needed. To his dismay he sensed another chakra, familiar, cold and strong. The Uchiha brat. On a mission for Kakashi no doubt. When he sneaked into the trees, masking his chakra signature as only he was capable of, his breath caught in his throat and jealousy and anger consumed him instantly. There next to the fire he saw her sleeping, nestled under his cape and in his arms.

It was almost impossible to hide his chakra signature being this emotional, so he detached himself from that burning pit of rage that was burning deep within him. Emotionless he watched her sleep, amazed at how small her form was, how tired her eyes. She wore exactly the same outfit as when she left the house that dreadful day. The senju hitai-ate still on her forehead. He felt hope fluttering. It would mean that the time that passed was not as much as he feared. Her memories of him would probably be fresh still. Then why was she sleeping in his arms? The small voice in his head that told him she did not have a blanket of her own he ignored.

He took to the distant again. His fear made him decide to just observe them. It was a cowards decision, but years of grief had broken him emotionally. He told himself that he just wanted to see how their interaction developed. A strange self-chastisement it seemed, but he just could not face reality at that moment. His fear of her rejection was all consuming.

When the days moved on, his fear increased and with it his insecurity. She did not give him any special attention, if any he had a feeling that she kept her distance deliberately. But he kept on watching her constantly with burning eyes. He knew a predator when he saw one. The Uchiha wanted her. Did she realize it?

Sometimes he felt his fear resurfacing with full force: their marriage seemed like dream. It was so many years ago. Was it even real? Despite her clothing, he kept wondering: where had she been in the past year? Would she have any recollection of him? Maybe her memories were gone?

He tried to remain emotionless, but his shinobi restraint was faltering day by day. More and more often he felt worried and betrayed. He imagined he saw her falling for this Uchiha. Falling for this boy from her youth that hurt her so much. He seemed atoned now, at peace. Naruto beat some sense in him at least. He feared that he was losing her with every minute that she spend with that brat. He was losing her all over again. How could he have fooled himself that she would want him still? He was an old man. Old and forgotten. No more than a face in the rocks.

Still he did not leave them. It was sweet self-torture: he kept trailing them, monitoring their interaction from a distance. He didn't trust any Uchiha and especially not this one. He hurt her so many times already. It seemed only logical that this new atoned attitude was only a facade. But when he saw her blushing at his statement at the gate he felt all hope leaving him. She would only blush if she felt something. She must still love him.

Still he could not let go: he was pulled like a magnet towards her apartment. When he landed silently on the roof of her apartment building, he immediately sensed it: two chakra signatures. He stopped abruptly his mind a blur of thoughts. The Uchiha was with her in her apartment! His fear was real! He did not know what to do. He wanted to kill the brat, break down the building or kill Kaguya for giving him this horrid fate. His mind shattering he fled over the rooftops, silent as a shadow, but internally screaming. His mind and body only came to a halt when he stood in front of the Senju compound.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

After a few nights sleeping in her apartment, the memories of her kept invading his mind until he could not function anymore. As a solution, Tsunade offered him his old quarters. It made him feel at ease and he could think again. When he thought of her there, it was a conscious choice at least.

He entered his quarters silently, with soft feet over the tatami mats, softy sliding the shoji doors shut. He let himself fall backwards on his futon, staring at the ceiling. Wondering what he should do. What was his purpose here when he had to give up his wife to another man? He slammed his fist into the futon angrily.

Should he just kick his ass and take her home? But if he did that, this issue might always stand in between them, tainting their relationship. What was her real hearts desire? Would she go back to him because he was here, out of duty for her husband or because she really wanted to? He would never find out, not really, and that knowledge would erode their love slowly but surely.

There would be no sleep tonight. He got up cursing under his breath. He longed for her return and now that she was here, the pain he felt was tenfold his past grief. Training seemed the only solution. Training until he could not think or feel any more. He needed to put some distance between himself and the city. He didn't want to attract attention after all.

Beta'd by _damnednation_


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi lovely readers. Another chapter for you. Tobi continues to be childish and Sakura is back in town. Keep the reviews coming. Keeps me on my toes and improves my writing. Hopefully. And sorry. A bit shorter than usual. But the bright sight: the next chapter is almost finished.**

 **18\. The moment an ANBU entered his office to report...**

The moment an ANBU entered his office to report the presence of Haruno Sakura in Konoha, Sasuke followed suit. Kakashi felt intensely relieved to learn of her return. A deep tension that had been accumulating over the past year seemed to evaporate all of a sudden, making him feel shaky. They had discussed this outcome of events endlessly. But theorising about her return and trying to have faith in the outcome never really silenced the constant nagging doubt in the back of his head. Knowing that their theory was right felt like a moment of absolute euphoria.

Sasuke, of course, seemed unmoved by the course of events, but Kakashi saw through his empty facade. The Uchiha felt something for her, that much was clear. It made Kakashi wary. Who knows what was going on in that thick skull of his. He could not be sure, but he was certain that Naruto would be less than pleased if that old burn would ignite once again.

He ordered ANBU guards to post on the roof of her apartment until she was rested enough to seek Tsunade out. He figured that she would go to her mentor first. He would give her this night and the next day to adjust. If she did not come, he would seek her out himself. He did not want to distrust her, but protocols had to be followed: she was a liability. She needed to be debriefed to rule out any possible threat.

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Sakura sought Tsunade out early next morning. Early sunlight fell in beams on the floor of the empty hospital hallway and for a moment she just stood there, taking in the appearance of her shishou. An intense emotion crossed Tsunade's face and in an instance she took Sakura into a bearhug, trying to mask the tears that escaped her eyes. Evelopped in her warmth and scent instead of being hit with her fists for a change, Sakura could not stop laughing or crying.

After the first shock Tsunade took her to her office, pressing her down with force in a comfortable chair, handing her tissue's and urging her to spill her ordeal. And that she did. It felt good to be with someone that she really trusted and reveal everything that happened to her without holding back. She talked all morning, drinking tea while Tsunade sipped sake. Only when she revealed her relationship with Tobirama she felt awkward, realising that she was facing Tobi's grand niece.

But Tsunade took the news calm, taking in her words with an open mind. And Sakura felt her awkwardness fall away quickly. She did remark on her marriage though: "You know… I asked my uncle once why he never got married."

She looked up: "And? What did he answer?"

"He said that he was too busy, to get married. I would not have dreamt that he actually hid this story from me! It explains his stern countenance over the years. He rarely smiled."

"Never smiled?"

"No, he was a stern man, all my childhood friends were scared of him. He lived only for the wellbeing of the village. There was only duty, never relaxation or having fun other than training until you ended up in the hospital or unconscious on the ground. There was not much love in his life, especially not after my grandfather died. Although he had a soft spot for me of course. I loved him very much."

She sighed: "The only love that he allowed into his heart was love for the village. And I think that his death was a conscious choice in the end, not a necessity."

"You mean… ", Sakura stammered horrified.

"I mean that if he fought alongside his students, I think they all would have survived. But facing them alone, was a calculated and conscious suicidal choice. I think he welcomed the opportunity to end his grief. That night felt like the opportunity that he had waited for. His students had become full grown shinobi. It was the best moment to make sure right student became Hokage, to see all of them safe and most important, to plant the Will of Fire firmly within their hearts by giving the right example."

Sakura sniffed, saying bitterly: "The right example? Suicide to deflect life?"

"No, to treasure the village and its inhabitants above his own life."

She fell silent. "You make it sound like a dishonest scheme."

"Well, this scheming was part of his being. He always had a plan behind a plan, that man. He was intelligent and cunning. His objective was honest, otherwise he would have died long before that moment. But he wasn't selfish enough for that. He just saw an opportunity to do the right thing and at the same time find peace for himself. His job was done. That is how he saw it, I am sure of it."

Sakura felt a tear escaping her eye. She bowed her head, feeling an intense pain. How could he have died like that? How could he close himself off from life like that? It felt as if she was listening to another man's end, this was not her Tobi as she remembered him, her husband that had held her in his arms, only a few days ago. He was so full of love, strength and courage. It seemed that her disappearance caused him to fear life itself. It pained her, realising what had happened to him in the end, how he chose his death. She squeezed her hands into fists in her lap, pressing her nails into her palms.

When her distress lessened she said softly: "He wasn't always like that, Shishou. When I met him, he was young. Even though he was smarter and more serious and responsible than his brother, he still enjoyed life intensely. Even though there was mainly duties to perform, he fulfilled them with an enormous energy and motivation and whenever there was an opportunity he would find joy in life. That is how I remember him: as a force of life. And he had an endless energy to make life better for everyone. He pushed me to my limits, teased me without remorse and he loved me with the same intensity that he loved life." she started to cry again in earnest. "Shishou… I lost him….and to hear how he lived his life without me feels like torture… I don't know what to do….."

Tsunade stood abruptly, frustrated and pained that she could not take away her apprentice's grief, because of her sworn secrecy to that same uncle. Curse that old man and his uptight strategies. Some vague part of her understood that he wanted to inform her himself, but still… the amount of hurt that Sakura displayed was tangible. There was no deceit in the girl, she was honest and herself and she was in pain.

She said gently: "You need to take your time to adjust to this new situation. Let's discuss everything with Kakashi, shall we?." Inside she was fuming at her uncle: why did he want to make this so complicated? It was obvious Sakura loved him.

Sakura nodded. Kakashi was Hokage, it would be nice to see her sensei again. But she felt troubled, however open her story to Tsunade was, this small fact she had kept from the older woman. She bit her lip. She was not ready to tell Tsunade or her friends, that she was carrying a Senju child.

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Two ANBU and Tsunade escorted her to Kakashi to be debriefed. Uncharacteristically he seemed emotional to see her again; jumping out of his chair giving her a firm hug. When he debriefed her he noticed to his great relief that her story held only minor differences with the Nidaime's version. There was no deceiving intent; not on Sakura's behalf, or that of his predecessor. So he ruffled her hair and dismissed her, ordering her to take rest at her house for a few weeks, before she would take up her hospital or shinobi duties.

He did not disclose the presence of the Nidaime in Konoha on the Nidaime's specific request. Apparently he wanted to approach her in his own way. So he kept his mouth shut even though he noticed her tearful eyes whenever she spoke his name. She was in mourning. It was obvious.

Kakashi still wasn't used to the idea of Sakura being married to the Nidaime Hokage, and her presence in his office, magnified the feeling of unease. That village hero was such a stern man. Kakashi was still impressed and somewhat apprehensive of him. He had kept his god-like status and majestic qualities in the mind of Kakashi, which made the idea that he was married to his subordinate freak him out a tad now that he saw her in front of him. This was Sakura, his brilliant genius student. Well he added silently, genius student that could behave like a absolute child whenever Sasuke was around.

But he must admit that it made sense. She was a formidable kunoichi now, powerful, intelligent and with a brutal strength that made all men in the village cower before her. And she was respected as well, respected as a genius doctor that could handle any disease that was thrown at her and respected as the apprentice of one of the Legendary Sannin.

He sighed when he admitted to himself that she grew up in a physical sense as well: she was a beautiful woman, filled out in all the right places. How would Sasuke react to the news that Sakura was married to the Nidaime? Now that he saw her he just knew, it would cause some trouble with the stubborn young man. He suspected that his overly cruel treatment of her over the years was caused by deep feelings on his part. Feelings that he was afraid to disclose or give in to. But Sasuke was a changed man now. How did his feelings for Sakura fit in there? He was an Uchiha. Love and Uchiha's did not fare well.

Xxxxxxx

Tobirama stood in the middle of a mess. Panting. Blood everywhere. Almost no chakra left. He tried one more move to try and cut the last circle of trees that was still standing. And then he felt a familiar chakra heading his way. The morning sun was already at the highest point. He was training for 18 hours straight.

Tsunade entered the circle of trees with an angry face. She touched down on the earth before him, blocking his pose, preventing his last move. "That is enough uncle. I don't want to carry you all the way back." She looked at him stern.

He ignored her.

She frowned: "I came to tell you that she is back. But I have a feeling that you already know."

Her fingers were hovering just above his chest, a searching flow of chakra entering him. She tsked a few times and then it was her turn to sigh. "Uncle, you have severe internal damage. Let me heal you."

"Hng.."

He gave in and sat down against a tree trunk, suddenly exhausted. Relishing the cool chakra penetrating his skin and organs. It was no use fighting her.

"Why are you doing this to yourself uncle?"

"She came with that Uchiha brat and he stayed with her in her apartment." Disgust filled his throat and he kept silent.

"I don't know why that makes you almost kill yourself Uncle? If that is the case, why did you not meet with her? You must have sensed her for days..."

He thought about this for a while. Feeling his tissue healing slowly, knitting together. He felt reluctant to disclose his fears and feelings to her. But she felt the closest to him now that Hashirama was dead, so he said finally:"What if she only loved me because Sasuke was not there with her? It seems only logical that now she is back in her own time, that her feelings for him will resurface. I do not want to try and change her mind by force. I want her to choose for herself if she truly loves him or not. I think it is best that she doesn't know I am here for her to be able to do this."

"You are being overly melodramatic uncle. Just go to her and talk to her! You are torturing her by staying hidden. I have talked to her and Kakashi as well. She is grieving. She hurts as if you were dead! Her voice breaks when she mentions your name.…." She looked at him pleadingly.

He felt his heart still at this. Could that be the case? But he knew what he felt when he was in front of her apartment. He felt two chakra signatures. Why would she invite him in her house when she was grieving over him? Or was he comforting her as a friend?

Tsunade finished healing the internal damage and he stood up slowly, patting the dirt from his clothing. "I will stay away from her for a while Tsuna. Just to let her make up her mind for herself."

"That is just not fair uncle, since she doesn't know that you are here. There is no choice for her to make!"

He said angrily and with authority: "This is how it will be done, Hime! I will not try to guide her heart with my presence. If she finds happiness with him. Then so be it."


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you sooo much for all the reviews! I am feeling spoiled now! Keep them coming! Another chapter now, a bit short, my apologies.**

 **19\. Sakura was hanging over the toilet seat, vomiting….**

Sakura was hanging over the toilet seat, vomiting with vigour. When she was done, she fell with her back against the door crying. Why was that stupid Senju not here. He should be here with her. Instead he was a stone face on a rock surface, taunting her every time she looked up to the sky. He was nothing but ashes.

A loud knocking shook her out of her thoughts. A booming voice yelled: "Oi! Sakura-chan! Breakfast!"

Quickly rinsing her mouth with water, she grumbled to herself about the bad timing of the most unpredictable ninja of all times, but she opened the door nevertheless. She disappeared immediately in a bearhug. His smell enveloped her, ramen mixed with old training sweat and thankfully some crisp fresh air.

His blue eyes laughing he lifted her up yelling that he had been worried sick about her. Despite her slow smile, he chatted loudly onwards, walking into her kitchen, throwing two bags of instant ramen on the counter and starting to boil water. His barging in felt like nothing had changed, as if she never left and it was just any other day. But the illusion didn't last: she noticed with a start that he had an artificial arm, just like Sasuke. Her mind came to a halt. Them losing an arm, without her at their side on the battlefield: they were lucky to be alive.

Despite her dark mood, she couldn't help but smile, his loud presence was not so bad. It made her forget her grief for a bit. They sat down at her kitchen table. She watched him eating the noodles with vigour and a lot of noise and collateral damage. When he was done eating, she took a rag from the sink to clean the table. He bombarded her with questions, but she told him no more than she did Sasuke.

After some time, she started to ask him about the ending of the war and learned that they only barely beated Kaguya. She felt sad that her actions in the past had no effect on the war. And when he told her about the atonement of Madara and the parting of Hashirama, she felt tears burn behind her eyes. Emotion choked her when she realised that still after everything, Madara found the peace that she thought he deserved. Against her instincts she had grown to admire him during her time in the past and she witnessed the intense friendship he had with Hashirama. That bond was one of the foundations of Konoha and she was glad for Hashirama that the final parting with his friend went with forgiveness and hope for a better future.

Her thoughts drifted off. How must it have been for Hashirama and Tobi to see everything that she predicted come to pass? How much had it hurt Hashirama to kill his friend, after having the hope that they had saved him from this future? Was this what made Tobi into the stern and harsh man that he would become?

Naruto stared at her, suddenly realising that she knew them intimately. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am." she hesitated. "And what happened to the Nidaime?" the question was out before she had enough time to think it through. She dreaded the answer, but she just had to hear this. To hear of his last moments. Emotion choked her. But the answer was nothing like she expected.

"Funny that you should ask that Sakura-chan. It was odd, even when all Hokage disappeared, he stayed really long talking to that old man Hagoromo. He even travelled with Tsunade-bachan to Konoha. The last time I saw him was in the Hokage tower. I never had a chance to say goodbye though…." he faltered, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of shrimp.

She felt herself getting cold inside. What was going on here? Why had Tsunade never mentioned this? Tobi did not leave for the after life together with the other Hokage, but actually stayed longer in this time and on top of that, even left the battlefield to join Tsunade in Konoha? She could not understand why this had happened. But she felt it was no coincidence that it had happened to Tobirama. It must have something to do with Kaguya's meddling with time, right?

She tried to get more information out of Naruto, but it was no use. She made a mental note to ask Tsunade as quickly as possible about this strange story, hungry for any shred of information on her husband.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After this first invasion of her privacy by her loud teammate, her life seemed to retain a sense of normality quickly. The memory of her life in the Senju compound seemed to speed away from her in time, fading at the edges quickly. The process hurt her. She did not want the memories to face, since it was all there was left of him. And whenever she was alone, the grief was almost too much to bare. So she took up work as quickly as she could. It was a welcome distraction. But she kept on feeling out of balance by Tobi's absence, and her hospital work seemed not as fulfilling as it once had.

Sasuke was tediously following her around. Trying to pick her up for lunch or dinner. She accepted occasionally, trying to be as friendly as possible but keeping a strict distance to give him no extra ideas. She knew him well enough to see he was bothered by her distance, but he did not address it.

She noticed that Naruto was never present when he sought her out. She wondered about it. She had expected them to be together more often since the extreme effort during the war to pick up their friendship where they left off. She knew for a fact that they were sparring with each other, since she had treated the both of them with training injuries on several occasions in the past two weeks. And she had seen them in the ramen stand that Naruto frequented at least two times already. Sasuke must be keeping his avances to her a secret for him, which made her wonder...

In the meantime, while Sasuke's presence unnerved her, Naruto seemed to be the only one able to cheer her up. He turned up on her doorstep early in the morning. When she opened sleepily, he darted inside to cook some rice and eggs as breakfast. Thank kami he learned how to make those finally. She hated instant food. Talking loudly about everything and nothing. His endless energy and simple happiness, made her feel lighter, her grief temporary forgotten.

In the meantime she tried to make an appointment with Tsunade to ask her about Tobirama's presence in the village. But she seemed to busy to even drink a cup of tea with her. There seemed to be a crisis with one of Konoha's allies and Kakashi needed her intel on it. So Sakura postponed her questions for now, but it kept on puzzling her, irritating her. Could it be that her Shishou was hiding something from her? Why had Tobi not been send immediately to the afterlife like the others? Had it something to do with Kaguya?

The longer she thought about it, the more it bugged her. Looking back on her conversations with Tsunade and Kakashi she now thought they accepted her story maybe a little too easy. There was almost no surprise or unwillingness to believe her rather unbelievable story. They seemed to be relieved that she was back, but thinking about it now, they didn't act like they had thought her to be dead. Her name was not on the memorial stone, so she was not remembered in the service for the fallen.

Was it possible that Tobirama stayed long enough to have told them their story? And why would they have kept this a secret for her? This theory pissed her off immensely. Which felt actually good. It felt good to be pissed at something instead of grieve all the time.

But how could she find out the truth? What was the truth? Did they exclude her because it was dangerous to meddle with time? Was it even her Tobirama that Naruto fought together with? Her thoughts became strained and troubled, going round in circles.

The only thing that she was absolutely certain about, was the impossibility of Tobirama still being in the village. He would have sensed her by now and used his Hiraishin seal. She could still feel its presence on her skin. So what did Naruto's strange story mean? She cursed under her breath. She was going to find out. One way or another. She would find out.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry guys. Still no get together. First I have to get rid of the Uchiha threat. So after this chapter more developments. Reviews are always very welcome! I have so many new readers. Thank you all for reading and supporting! It really helps me writing, so thank you all!**

 **20\. About a week later on a particularly sunny day she had….**

About a week later, on a particularly sunny day she had a revelation. She was chewing rice, staring into Naruto's blue eyes, listening to his endless chatter and suddenly she realised that 90% of his monologues were about Sasuke. And ever so slowly an interesting notion dawned on her. She swallowed her rice and decided to act upon it.

"Naruto…. Are you in love with Sasuke-kun?" she asked bluntly.

Naruto fell silent and turned beet red in an instant, trying to hide behind his bowl of rice.

"It is ok. I had my suspicions for some time now", she lied.

He stared at her over the kitchen table, his expression turned serious and somewhat sad. He put down his bowl of rice and said softly: "All my life…." He added: "But it seems he is in love with you…"

She felt her throat clenching. All the pieces of a puzzle that had been an intricate part of her life, seemed to connected finally. Naruto's endless efforts to retrieve him, the incredible ability to forgive him and on top of it all to keep on believing in him. Naruto loved him in more ways than a friend and teammate.

But it could not be requited love, right? Or was it? This must have been the reason that Sasuke had been pushing her away all these years, hurting her. But it didn't explain his recent change in behaviour towards her, unless he was fighting his own feelings for Naruto. Could he be courting her in an extreme effort to escape the confrontation with what he really wanted? But then why did court her in secret?

The only reason that Sasuke would be keeping his avances a secret for Naruto was if he knew of his feelings for him. Her analytic mind made quick work of the loose ends of the puzzle: he didn't want to hurt him! Sitting back in awe, she was shocked that the Uchiha actually seemed to possess some empathy after all.

But this was so wrong! She needed to clear this issue quickly. She steeled her resolve. She had let this issue slip long enough now. It was one thing to keep her conversation with Sasuke stalling out of grief, but another to hurt Naruto, even if it was indirectly. She needed to talk to Sasuke, and quickly.

She stared at the heart broken man across the table: "I do not love him."

He stared back at her: "You don't?" he sounded hopeful, "But he said that he wants to rebuild the Uchiha clan with you.…"

She blinked. Rebuilding the Uchiha clan? So that is behind his avances? Nothing more than duty for clan and village? Was this part of his atonement?

"Well. I am not interested Naruto."

"You're not? But Sakura-chan, you have been in love with him all your life!" Naruto sounded suspicious and she could understand that. She smiled at him.

"I guess I realised a long time ago that I have never loved him. I loved the idea of him, but he pushed me away so many times, that I never actually knew him. And to be honest, I have found love in the past, I met an amazing man and married him." It hurt to say it like that, and she felt a lump in her throat threatening to come out.

"Married?", his jaw dropped.

"Yes I did." and then she was tired of hiding her story. He was one of her oldest friend. So she told him everything to the last detail, even her pregnancy. He sat there staring at her stunned for a while. His mouth agape. The rice on the table getting cold.

"You are pregnant? From the Nidaime?"

"Haven't you been listening you baka?"

"Alright, alright! Don't get mad! It is just…. the Nidaime? It feels just weird that the old man is your husband now!"

"He wasn't that old when I met him you idiot!"

He looked hurt. "Sakura-chan… I understand you know.."

"Than act like it!" she grumbled, taking the dishes off the table and depositing them in the sink with a loud clunck.

He was silent for a moment. Then he said softly: "I am glad that you found someone so honorable Sakura-chan. I have been fighting alongside the old man and he was awesome! I learned so many great moves from him! I am glad that you found somebody worthy. If anyone deserves you, it's him."

She turned around and stared at him. She smiled: "Thanks,... you baka…"

He grinned: "But if he ever hurts you Sakura-chan! I will beat him into a bloody pulp!"

"I bet he would have laughed at you if you tried."

Naruto smiled sheepishly, realizing that the Nidaime was gone. With a determined look he added: "Sakura-chan. If you need any help with the babies. I will be there for you. You know that right?"

She started crying in earnest now, breaking, leaning against the kitchen sink. He took her into his arms to comfort her. Vaguely she noticed his tall posture. He had been growing into a man in the short time she was away.

"I was so happy with him Naruto! But I lost him forever now..."

"I know."

When she calmed down, they drank their tea in silence. "You know… it keeps puzzling me that he was here for so long. Tsunade never told me. And she and Kakashi-sensei accepted my story so easily. Almost as if they already heard it. Can you think of a reason why they would keep that a secret?"

Naruto was just as puzzled as her. "I have no idea. Why don't you confront them about it?"

"They are very busy at the moment. I cannot even get her to drink tea with me."

They fell silent for a while, until Sakura asked him:

"So what are you going to do about Sasuke?"

He flushed again. "I don't know. I guess I am scared that he will just laugh at me. But sometimes, I think he knows and he feels the same. He just never shows it! That asshole!"

"I guess it is hard to confront him. You endanger your friendship right?"

"Yeah…."

"But if you never try, you might regret it forever.."

"I know…I will think of something. Or maybe I just have to kick his ass into submission and just kiss him, if he wants to or not. Kicking his ass last time, worked pretty well."

They laughed, finishing their tea. She waved him goodbye when he jumped the roofs towards the training grounds. When she closed the door. The echo of the door sounded hollow and empty. She sighed and quickly changed for her hospital work. Opening her window she climbed on her roof, jumping onto the next one, sprinting towards the centre of Konoha.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After another failed attempt to try and get Tsunade to schedule lunch with her, she sat in her office frustrated. It was busy. She approached her patients with a snappy demeanor and only spoke with a clipped voice, scaring most of them into submission. Her mind was in turmoil. How the heck was this possible? It was almost as if Tsunade did it on purpose! She took a sip of tea, biting angrily in a dry biscuit.

Then another knock and suddenly Sasuke stood in front of her, a shallow but nasty gash in his arm. His proximity and presence overwhelmed her momentarily. She wanted to talk to him, but was not prepared to see him this soon.

When he held out his arm, she quickly recovered, rolling her eyes: "He beat you again huh?"

"Hnngg.. He was just lucky."

"Why do you still fight each other. Was losing an arm not enough?"

He stared ahead, face impassive: "Others are no match."

She smiled at that. Finishing knitting his skin together, she decided that telling him as soon as possible was top priority. She invited him for tea in her favorite cafe close to the hospital.

When they sat down and ordered, an awkward silence fell and she said: "Sasuke, I am sorry. But I am not the girl that you hurt anymore. I don't love you anymore, not in that way."

He looked taken aback.

"Is it because I hurt you?"

She smiled at him. "No, I have forgiven you for that."

He stared at her and she continued: "I think my love for you in the past was a longing for an idea that existed only in my mind and not in reality. I don't think I ever really knew you good enough to love you."

He nodded slowly and said hesitant: "I was not intending for you to love me. I wanted to offer you the position of the Uchiha matriarch for a future Uchiha clan." he swallowed nervously after he finished the sentence.

She blinked.

"So, a marriage of convenience?"

He just nodded.

"Well. That is a surprise, since you have been acting as if you wanted to court me."

He seemed embarrassed. "I did not know how to proceed otherwise. I wanted to win your heart and then ask your hand in marriage. Should I have just presented you with terms and conditions?"

She wanted to feel angry, but she couldn't. It was just too much like Sasuke and it seemed befitting somehow. "I am sorry Sasuke. I could not marry if it was not for love."

"Love might come after we get to know each other better, Sakura."

She gave him a soft smile: "I am sorry Sasuke, I am already taken."

"Somebody else?" He frowned.

"Yes, I am married. But he is gone now. It doesn't change anything in my feelings towards you. I think I never really loved you other than a good friend and teammate."

"I am not sure how to take this news, Sakura. Other than to tell you I feel displeased." He looked solemn and serious. The anger slowly inverting inwards. His eyes burned. She felt uneasiness creep up on her. He looked so much like Izuna! What if she was wrong? What did love do to an Uchiha? Did he love her? Or Naruto? She felt uncomfortable, but she could not undo her decision.

He noticed her troubled look and his features relaxed: "Don't worry, I won't turn into Madara any time soon." He gave her a faint smile.

She blurted out: "Naruto was jealous of me, he was heartbroken"

Sasuke turned the same shade of red that Naruto had instantly and she knew her suspicions were correct. She smiled at him: "Sasuke-kun. I think you know how fix his heart, right?"

He nodded silently, his cheeks still aflame. "So he told you of his feelings for me?"

She nodded.

"I have know for a while now. It scares me."

"Scares you?" she frowned, not understanding.

"It scares me because I feel the same. I am scared to give in to it, Sakura… I am scared to lose control. I have never felt like this before. I had been consumed by revenge all my life. And suddenly it is replaced by these feelings. They are the opposite of how I felt all these years and I don't know what happens if I give into it."

"Just don't give up on him. He never gave up on you…"

"But there is also duty Sakura. The village elders have pressured me to rebuild the Uchiha clan. That future will not exist if I choose him."

"You idiot. You can rebuild your clan in other ways. Anything is possible."

He gave a feeble smile in embarrassment. "I guess…"

Then he held his hands to his forehead for a moment: "But I am hurting him, Sakura. I am hurting him and it makes me so angry with myself! I have hurt him enough in the past years….."

She felt herself becoming warm. He had never shared his emotions with her and she valued this rare insight in her closed off teammate. Smiling she said: "It is never to late Sasuke-kun. He has a big heart. He will forgive you."

"Yeah, he always forgives me. That stupid baka."

He suddenly stood, putting some money on the table.

"I need to overthink my actions." He started walking away, but turned around and said: "Thank you Sakura. Thank you for your honesty. I will see you around."

He left her sitting there wondering. How was it possible that her two teammates were in love with each other and she only just noticed it! The magnitude of Naruto's suffering hit her in the face threefold and she could almost feel his heartbreak as if it were her own. She smiled to herself: there must be a happy ending soon now. She felt jealous, thinking of Tobi, but quickly dismissed those thoughts. She hoped that Naruto would be blown off his socks by the stoic Uchiha. She had high expectations, after all, love ran deep for an Uchiha.


	21. Chapter 21

**This one is in haste. I did not have a lot of time to check it again. But I felt that I could not keep you waiting any longer for another update. More are on the way... but later.**

 **21\. When Sakura closed the door of her apartment resolutely….**

When Sakura closed the door of her apartment resolutely behind her, she felt no regret, only a great relief that she had the courage to be honest with him and an intense happiness for the both of them. She couldn't help but feel extremely satisfied by it. It felt like the puzzle was finally complete. They were on the road to a place where they both belonged.

The next few days, she lost herself in her work. Going home was an activity that she did not want to engage in. One afternoon she wanted to barge into the Hokage Tower to beg Kakashi for S-rank missions, but she knew all too well that in the aftermath of war there was little he could offer her.

Her frustration came to a boiling point and she decided to confront Tsunade with the strange tale of Tobirama in Konoha, decorum be damned. She would just barge into her home.

So she made her way towards the Senju compound. But halfway she stopped at the memorial stone. Letting her fingers slide over his name, she stared at his face high above her. Bitterly she thought that the twins would only have his name on this stone and his stupid face, looming over them from the mountain top.

Deep down she wanted to stop existing, to dissolve in the earth beneath her, finding her own peace, just like he did. She lowered herself until she sat on the cold stone, leaning her back against the monument. She relished the numbing cold of the stone, reflecting her dark and cold trail of thought.

What was the use of giving birth when he was not here? What was the use of her hospital duties, when he was not there to comfort her when she lost a patient. What was the use of living, of being back in her own time when her heart was caught in the past? She had nothing left in this world that really mattered to her. If she was swallowed by the earth right that moment she would welcome the nothingness.

Her limbs cold and stiff from sitting at the stone, she noticed dusk approaching. There was one loose end in her life at this moment. She wanted Tsunade to tell her about Tobi being in Konoha and his final departure.

The knowledge that he had conversations with people that she knew, that were still around, meant that there was a tiny part of him that she could get to know better. A tiny part that would enable her to feel his presence close for one more time. As if her image of him would be more complete hearing of his interaction with Tsunade, to know where he walked and what he said, what he ate and how he left in the end. She needed to hear it. A if the words were like pieces of a broken puzzle. She would not be able to finish it, with the scarce pieces, but she would at least see parts that were invisible at the moment.

She gritted her teeth and turned her back to the monument, not looking back, walking towards the old Senju compound where Tsunade lived.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When she entered the courtyard surrounded by familiar buildings, she was amazed at how well conserved the houses were. It felt like coming home. Tobirama could walk around the corner at any given time, wearing his training outfit, the one with the yellow sash that she loved so much. Only the gardens gave away the fact that she was not in the past. They were unkept or simply replaced by pebbles. The distinct smells and sounds were gone as well. There was no woodfire smoke or the stench of animals. All life and energy had disappeared from the compound.

Tsunade had apparently felt her chakra and appeared in a doorway, looking concerned and reasonably drunk. Sakura realised that she never visited Tsunade at home. She was infamous for sleeping on her desk, drooling over her paperwork.

Silently Tsunade let her into the house, where she sat her down at the large kitchen table.

Sakura faltered under her stare, she felt unable to lie to her or hide her desperation: "Shishou. I don't think I can live without him…."

She heard a sharp intake of breath. "Sasuke?"

She felt confused. Sasuke? "No, not him Shishou. He and Naruto, well … they are seeing each other in secret."

"Really?" Tsunade snorted and barked a short laugh. "Somehow that seems just … right."

"I mean Tobi, Shishou, I feel like I lost a part of myself."

"I understand Sakura."

"No. You don't understand. Otherwise you would have told me."

Tsunade frowned. "Told you what?"

The anger hit Sakura unexpectedly, making her hand slam on the table with a thundering sound:

"Just tell me! Why was Tobi in Konoha instead of travelling to the afterlife? Why did you keep this information secret for me?"

Tsunade stared at her, her own temper flaring. It must have been Naruto who told her this. She took a deep breath. She needed to de-escalate quickly.

"I didn't want to make your grief any worse."

Sakura's eyes were aflame: "And why is my name not on the memorial stone? How did you know I wasn't dead? He told you. Don't you deny it!"

Tsunade fell silent. After a few moments she said silently: "Yes, he told us. I just thought it would hurt you to hear of his presence here."

Tears in her eyes Sakura said with venom in her voice: "How would hearing about my husband hurt? How could you?"

Tsunade's face hardened. That old man! She cursed him inwardly. Why did he want to make this so hard and complicated! "I cannot take it back now. What is done is done. You know of it now."

Sakura felt tears in her eyes and Tsunade walked around the table in an effort to hold her. Before she could wrap her arms around her she felt a strange divergent torrent in the girls chakra.

Her heart skipped a beat. She was pregnant? According to the nature of the chakra she did some calculating. There was no doubt, her uncle must be the father. She felt like the ground skipped underneath her feet. And her uncle was unaware?

And then an intense anger came bubbling up. His absence was torturing Sakura!

She gritted her teeth, this changed everything. She needed to talk (or beat) some sense in her uncles head! This whole ordeal was unnecessary. He needed to quit the dramatics and start taking care of Sakura and the baby! She made a decision.

"Sakura. There is more I did not tell you." Sakura felt cold, staring at Tsunade in dread.

"What do you mean?"

"I had made a promise to keep this information from you. But seeing your current state…." she stared at Sakura intently. "I have just decided that I have to break that promise to ensure the wellbeing of my apprentice and her children."

Sakura paled visibly. "Shishou….. I am sorry."

"You silly girl. Why did you not tell me?"

"I was not ready yet."

"It would have changed things if I knew earlier." she sighed.

"What things?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"It was my uncle who made me keep this information from you Sakura. He never left the village. He is still here in Konoha, alive and well."

A deep silence fell. Sakura stopped breathing for a while staring at Tsunade in absolute astonishment.

After a while she said: "That is not possible. He would have found me already."

"He did not attempt to find you."

She tried to process her words but failed.

"Why?", she kept on staring, not understanding: "Why have I not seen him?"

"He made us swear not to tell you. He wanted to confront you himself."

"But why did he not? Why did he not come for me?"

"He thought it better to let you decide on your own if you loved Sasuke over him. I told him that he was torturing you, but he would not listen."

Her words took some time to sink in. She was astonished, amazed and then she felt hurt and betrayed, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

If Tsunade's words were truthful, he must have followed her from the moment that she arrived. There was no way that that man would have missed her arrival in this time. So he must have travelled to find her as soon as she arrived. She calculated quickly. It was a few days travel, but he could do it quicker. He was so fast! So he must have spotted her with Sasuke!

She felt the blood in her cheeks disappear instantly. He saw her sleeping in Sasuke's arms! So he must have been spying on her, distrusting her because she was sleeping in her former's crush's arms!

And he let her suffer all this time, without even talking to her or confronting her with his suspicions! He had willingly avoided her, leaving her grieving, because he thought she was in love with somebody else? What had he been thinking! That she would jump into Sasuke's arms in an instant? Forgetting her marriage vows? Did he think that she lied all this time? That she lied to herself? That she only married him out of grief for losing her own life?

That baka! That was obviously what he had been thinking!

An intense rage kicked in and consumed her instantly. That unbelievable asshole!

She turned to Tsunade, face grim, jaws working, fists clenched at her side, knuckles white.

"You tell that asshole, that he can stick that wedding ring into his uptight ass. Hokage or no Hokage!" and she walked out of the house in a slow strut, taking off into the trees. Tsunade was left staring at her in disbelief, amazed at the stubbornness of these two lovers. How did they even find each other in the first place?

She went back inside and poured herself some sake, wondering what to do. She would have to talk with him first thing in the morning. That was in a few hours. In the meantime she would think of a strategy to get her uncle to make amends. Maybe she should just tell him about the twins? But she would take the surprise news from Sakura. On the other hand, if she didn't tell him, she might not get through his thick skull… she sighed and poured another sake.

There was a possibility that Sakura would reveal herself to him first. And beat him into the ground. She took another sip of sake grinning to herself. That would be only what he deserved for being such a pig headed idiot.

xxxxxx

Tsunade knocked on the shoji doors of his quarters. Then impatiently shoving them open, not waiting for an answer. Her uncle was squinting at her, holding a kunai, chest naked and hair ruffled.

"Uncle I need to speak with you."

"Shimatta, Hime, can it wait until after breakfast?"

"It is about Sakura. You need to talk to her."

He stared at her. And then said: "Give me two minutes."

She closed the shoji doors and waited. Not two minutes later Tobirama appeared in his trademark outfit, blue armour and white fur around his face, happuri on.

He watched her, arms crossed: "Uncle, she doesn't love Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto are strangely enough in a relationship now."

He blinked: "How do you know this?"

"She told me last night when she walked to the Senju compound."

"She was here?" he looked surprised. How did he not sense her?

"Yes, she was. And I told her about you." She looked at him seriously.

"You told her? Nani?"

"She is consumed by grief, uncle! I am worried about her!"

She stared at his angry face and she continued: "The fact that you have been here all along without going to her, did not sit well with her, which is an understatement. I think she called you an asshole in fact. I think you have to make amends."

"What do you mean consumed by grief? Was she crying?"

"I would say it was more like a depression uncle. Her grief has been consuming her, she looks exhausted. She has lost her smile."

Tobirama felt a cold shiver. The mere thought to confront her scared him. How could he be sure that Tsunade's take on her was correct? He needed to perform his own research.

"What are you thinking uncle?" she asked impatient.

"I have to asses the situation for myself first Tsuna."

Tsunade yelled at him, exasperated: "This is not a joke uncle! She NEEDS you!"

She saw him closing off immediately. He crossed his arms and looked in the distance. His voice sounded like dark gravel: "Tsuna, I told you to not interfere with my decision making!"

"But you are making selfish decisions!" Tsunade was yelling at him now, nostrils flaring and shaking from anger. "You are just scared! Admit it! You are scared to be hurt again! But in your fear you don't see that you have been hurting her! And that is what she thinks right now!"

"Tsuna, that is enough" he barked.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes: "Grandfather would have disapproved! He would have had faith in her. Why do you not trust her?"

He staggered inside, his thoughts coming to a halt. Hashirama. Hashirama would have had faith in her. He loved her as a sister and he would never have doubted her feelings for his brother. His faith in his people was without falter, eternal and the will of fire ever present.

He felt ashamed suddenly. Had Madara's atonement learned him nothing? Why did he not have faith in her? Why was he always distrustful? Or was it the Uchiha that triggered his distrust?

Tsunade's voice drifted towards him through the torrent of thoughts, "You are hurting her! That woman is like a daughter to me! And I will not allow it!"

He stared at her. His niece was almost on the verge of tears for her apprentice that she held as dear as family and that he was hurting day in day out with his absence.

And slowly he realised that he had made a mistake. He should have went to Sakura from the moment she was back. He was an idiot.

He made up his mind and jumped on the ground next to the engawa, his heart racing. He squatted down, pressing his fingers on the ground sensing his surroundings. He found her chakra outside Konoha close to the borders of the firecountry. He frowned in concern. He chakra was in a weakened state.

He barked at Tsunade: "She is at the border, her chakra weak. Prepare a hospital bed for her Tsuna!"

"Uncle, she is miles away. How can you reach her in time?" Tsunade felt dread filling her heart.

He did not look up at her but stared into the trees. He stated with his dark voice: "I marked her as mine. For eternity." and then he disappeared with a gush of wind, shaking up dust, leaving a stunned and puzzled Tsunade.


	22. Chapter 22

**22\. In the middle of the forest close to the borders of…..**

In the middle of the forest close to the borders of Fire Country, was a large empty space, the result of a violence-driven force of nature. The center was occupied by a tiny figure with pink hair, panting and covered in sweat, dirt and blood. Nothing stood erect in the vicinity of few miles, the landscape completely levelled out.

Her steps faltered, blood dripping from her hands, her left shoulder was severely hurt, due to dislocating her arm twice. Her legs were smeared with blood from two large gashes, the result of kicking trees out of the ground.

Destroying the land and damaging her body seemed the only sane thing to do within the chaotic torrent of her mind. The emotions that swept over her were just too much to process, her body and mind too small to contain them. She was not in control, she could only ride the waves of emotions helplessly. She needed release to survive this overload and using her chakra to her utmost limits seemed a solution of some kind. But it did nothing to ease her anger. An anger that was all consuming, unfamiliar and alien.

She felt betrayed. Betrayed by the one person that she trusted with her life. The one person that she loved utterly and completely.

She deducted that in his insufferable arrogance, he had rationalised the situation until it was no more than an equation, calculated thoroughly. He must have done it devoid of emotion or common sense. It had not crossed his stupid mind to confront her. He did not trust her! Their vows held no truth for him and that hurt her the most. Why did he forget their marriage vows? How. Could. He.!

She cursed while she smashed stone and ripped roots from the earth. She yelled inaudible words when she felt the bones in her hands break time and time again, hitting solid rock again and again. How could hurt her like this!

The crushed bones send pain signals like hot iron through her limbs. She did not need to asses her body to know that her chakra levels were dangerously low and her body was dangerously broken. But her anger and spite held her upright, a dangerous boiling pitt of rage keeping her from collapsing where she stood.

Then, suddenly and silently, she felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder. A push of moving air sent her hair in all directions, whipping up the grass around her wildly and she knew. She knew with absolute certainty who was standing behind her. But instead of intense joy, his presence caused bitterness in her heart.

She stood there unable to move for a while. The warmth of his hand penetrating her dress, touching her skin. God, he always felt so warm. A part of her wanted to give into his warmth, to disappear into it. But her anger would not allow it, she did not even want to lay eyes on him.

With her eyes cast down, she pivoted sending a chakra enhanced fist towards his face with all her might, intent on breaking that damn face that haunted her, mocked her every step through the village. She put her entire weight into the movement, her feet slipping in the earth beneath her by the sheer force that she used. But when she expected her fist to hit him, he caught her hand with ease. She stared at the hand locked around her wrist furiously. Shaking in anger she slowly cast her eyes upwards, finding only detachment in the red depths. His face was passive but as handsome as she remembered. His features as if etched in marble, sharp and painfully beautiful.

Tobirama assessed her quickly, noticing with concern her injuries and her chakra depletion. Out of sheer self protection, his emotions shut down tightly. He registered her yelling at him, her anger stealing the words from her mouth. She was shaking, her eyes like fire while she wrenched her fist out of his hand.

He released her, jumping backwards swiftly while she tried to kick him. He skidded backwards over the broken earth. Then he stared up at her from a crouching position. "You fucking stupid Senju! Why?"

She jumped with lightning speed at him, kicking him in the face, sending him flying this time. She knew he had not tried to defend himself and she screamed at him: "Why did you not trust me! Why did you betray me like that!"

He got up slowly, silently letting her kick him again and again. He deserved it, he knew it and he did not move.

She was kicking him again and again, trying to find some closure for the anger she felt. But it was not good enough. She screamed in frustration. Hitting his face from the side with a particularly forceful hit from her shin. But he did not move. Her hits were lacking her usual chakra enhancement due to her exhaustion, but it still took him some effort to stay standing nevertheless. So he stood there, adjusting after every impact, arms crossed, staring at her, impassive, waiting.

Sakura's first coherent thoughts were that his face betrayed nothing while she had thought he would show a myriad of emotions. She had thought he would talk to her, cry, be mad at her, anything! She should have known better. She was not facing her husband or lover, this was Tobirama-sama, the Nidaime Hokage, cold and calculating.

Nothing prepared her for his emotionless face and she wondered if this was what it felt like to be facing him in the battlefield as his enemy. The absence of emotion was horrible, making him less like a person, more like a mechanical fighting machine. More like the inhuman betrayer that was once her lover.

Suddenly she realised that this was getting her nowhere. Her body stilled, her arms falling next to her body. Her emotions stilled and she started to cry in desperation, staring at him: "All this time Tobi! All this time! You were here! Why? Why did you not find me?"

He slowly unfolded his arms, and she had the urge to hit him again. But she faltered, casting her eyes downwards she said softly; "Did you forget our vows? Did you forget our love?"

He stared at her shocked. Her silent demeanor seemed to penetrate his carefully build control. But instead of hurt he suddenly he felt angry by her words. With his low gravelly voice tight he said: "I saw you. I saw you with that Uchiha."

She raised her head, blinking at him.

"I saw you blush at his request at the gates. Then I felt him in your apartment that same night."

The subtle anger in his voice was familiar. The effect of his voice on her body was instant. It seemed a lifetime ago that she felt it vibrating on her skin. She had missed him so much!

His words slowed her down until she was staring at him, frowning, her anger tucked away, processing his words. Her assumption that he saw her with him had been correct. But Sasuke he could not have felt in her apartment that night. It was impossible. She knew it was impossible, but his certainty almost made her doubt herself. His sensory skills were legendary, this was Senju Tobirama for kami's sake! Still staring at him, a revelation dawned upon her. Could it be that…? No. That idiot!

She grabbed him by his fur collar, pulling him towards her face. His sharp features inches from hers, his breath on her skin. He still looked so angry while they stared at each other. But then suddenly she could see past his shield and hurt and pain were clearly visible in his eyes.

"You asshole! Are you that arrogant? You think you can judge me without confronting me? How dare you?"

Emotion stirred in his eyes. Something forceful stirred inside him and suddenly he said with raised voice: "What do you expect from me? You were with that Uchiha!" he spat the words.

And then, she slapped him in the face. It was not a chakra punch, but an old fashioned womanly slap. It left his cheek tingling. He bared his teeth at her, growling.

In a low voice she said: "I was not with Sasuke. You think me a whore?"

Suddenly he grabbed her shoulders in turn, squeezing painfully, shaking her, anger, hope and desperation fighting in his eyes: "I felt two signatures!" he was yelling at her now, teeth clenched.

"Think! You bloody Senju! You are smarter than this! Think with that brain of yours and not with your guts. Your prejudice of the Uchiha clan is clouding your intellect!"

Tobirama fell silent releasing his tight grip instantly, almost pushing her away. He tried to get his brain to process her words but was not successful in the least. He must have missed something important. Two signatures? And she was alone? Why could he not think clearly? What did he not see?

Sakura was still grabbing his collar, yelling at him, but he could not hear her words. His thoughts occupied with the impossibility of what he sensed that night. And then slowly, somewhere deep within him, it dawned on him, that he might have overlooked something important. He might have, for the first time in his life, let fear get the better of him.

He spoke softly, barely a whisper: "Are you…..?"

She closed her eyes.

"Sakura….."

She felt her anger evaporate within a few fleeting seconds and she couldn't help but smile. And then all went black and her chakra depletion finally got the better of her.


	23. Chapter 23

23 She woke up in a cocoon of warmth…

She woke up in a cocoon of warmth. Sunlight warmed her face filling the back of her eyes with warm orange colors. It felt like bathing in molten gold. Slowly she started wondering where she was, the light so bright that she couldn't open her eyes. But the smell betrayed her location: the hospital. Slowly she remembered.

After lying there for a while, she tried to open her eyes for real, to survey the room she was in. After getting used to the light the world came into focus. And then she saw him.

He was sitting about a meter away from her, elbows resting on his knees, staring intently at her. She hadn't notice his presence when she was adjusting. Only he could be as silent as that. His face ashen white, dark circles underneath his eyes in sharp contrast with the redness of them. His hair looked like a haystack. He was wearing black shinobi clothing. He stared at her, silent as a statue.

He whispered: "How are you feeling?" his face was carefully impassive. Emotionless. She frowned. "Fine."

He stood and sat on the bedside. She felt the mattress dip and slowly, ever so slowly he took her hand in his. She felt the familiar callousness, his hand warm and dry. His fingers wrapping around hers reverently. With this simple skin contact a vast array of emotions slowly flooded upwards in her consciousness. She remembered every detail of his hand. She remembered the first time she felt that callous on her skin when he pulled her underneath the water to kiss her a lifetime ago.

The emotion became too much to bare and she felt the first tear leave her eye. Soon more followed. It felt like an endless river of tears and she let them all go. She let out all the anguish, all the grief, anger and sadness. Tobirama, face carefully emotionless, pulled her by her hand towards him, making her body fall into his and he held her. He pushed her head softly in the crook of his neck, wrapping his arms around her, holding her while she cried her guts out.

It took her a long time to recover herself, the tears start again and again. But he sat patiently, not speaking, just holding her. After a long while she sat up and stared at him. "Tobi…."

"Hnng….. "

"It is really you…" she said in wonderment. Smiling softly.

"Yes….. are you ok?" his voice rumbled through her body.

The question was there again but she didn't know how to answer it: "I don't know."

He wiped a strand of hair from her forehead and tucked behind her ear. "You scared me….." he started.. Falling silent for a moment. Then he continued… "I thought I lost you a third time. … " he couldn't finish his sentence, the idea choking him.

Suddenly the door opened, revealing Tsunade in a white doctors coat.

"Well. You are a lucky girl, no thanks to your own stupidity." she bit.

Sakura cringed.

"Have you any idea how risky that was in your condition!"

"I am sorry Shishou. I was preoccupied with other things." she shot Tobirama an angry glare.

Tsunade hmpfed, glaring at her uncle as well.

"How is my …. belly?" she feared the answer, holding her breath. But Tsunade gave her a warm smile.

"I did a checkup an hour ago when you were still sleeping and you are fine. Apart from a chakra level at three quarter capacity, you seem to be in excellent health. You are dismissed from the hospital." She looked at Tobirama and gave him a curt nod leaving the room quietly.

An awkward silence lingered in the room. What do you say to a man that you mourned for weeks, that you tried to beat into a pulp and then make him discover that you are pregnant? What do you say to your husband who has been mourning your death for a lifetime. In kami's name, how was he coping with this situation!

Tobirama stood and said softly. "You were dressed and washed an hour ago. We can leave now if you want? I can use hiraishin?"

She nodded at him. Slowly folding the blanket downwards. She was wearing a black shinobi outfit. "Where will we go?"

He hesitated, looking unsure. "We can go to your apartment? Or we can go to the Senju compound, my old quarters are still there. Tsunade returned them to me…"

She looked up at him surprised, tears threatening to leak from her eyes again: "Really? We can go home then?"

He smiled at her for the first time. Calling the Senju compound home seemed to evaporate the last shard of doubt about their love that existed inside his heart. Relief washing over him, he bent down, hooked his arm underneath her legs and supported her back. The movement and her weight in his arms felt incredibly familiar, threatening to bring him to tears. .

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

With hirashin, they transported on the engawa in one swift movement that made her temporarily sick. He held her until the nausea disappeared. The garden had changed. But the engawa with the big stepping stone was still where she remembered it. He sat her on the engawa carefully. When she felt capable, she slowly walked towards the shoji doors, touching the wood to open them. He followed her silently inside.

It was like stepping in a time machine. Nothing had changed. All his possessions were still in the same place. The fuuton on the same spot on the ground. She slowly walked towards the wall with his weapons. Fingering the cold metal wistfully. She stared at it and whispered to no one in particular: "Home…". She touched her belly and felt hearts fluttering and a deep satisfaction came over her.

"Sakura…"

It was the tone of his voice that made her turn around swiftly. He stood there in the middle of the room in front of the fuuton. He had held back in the woods and in the hospital. But now he could no longer contain the emotion inside of him. He made a strangled sound, face contorted in pain and grief. And then all emotion seemed to pour out of him in long heavy sobs. He fell to his knees on the fuuton, bending his head towards the ground. She sped towards him, kneeling as well and touching him hesitantly. The moment she touched him, his hands found her and he held her almost painfully, shaking and sobbing.

"Tobirama…." she whispered his name in the dark of the room and put his arms around his neck. His despair continued and he was unable to react to her in any way. She just held him in her arms, feeling the man she loved falling apart. Her heart was bleeding for him, he must have been so alone all these years. For her it was a matter two months. He on the other hand lived out his life alone, died alone and was revived alone, against his will, only to meet her again while she had no memory of him yet. He was forced to see her being thrown into the past all over again losing her for a second time.

So she held him and allowed her strong warrior to fall apart and hoped desperately there would be pieces left to pick up. She realised that now their roles were reversed. This was her state of mind when he first found her, and he nurtured her to sanity and health again. She had faith in him. He was too strong to be conquered by despair or this heartbreak.

After a while, she noticed the sobbing subsided and slowly he raised his head. His red eyes met her green ones and cupped her cheeks with his calloused hands. The anxious look in his eyes while he searched her face, kissing her lips, caressing her, crying, whispering her name, holding her body against his own. "Sakura….. I missed you more than life itself….." He captured her lips and it was her turn to cry, kissing him back tasting his tears, sweet and salty at the same time. "I was scared. So scared that it was all a dream. I was scared that you would reject me when you were home, surrounded by all the things that mattered to you."

"Baka Senju. How could you think that of me?"

"It has been so many years, so many years since I lost you. The memory of what we had was fading into an ideal past. I was not sure what was the truth any longer."

And then she finally understood everything and she silently forgave his mistake since the happiness of his presence was almost too much to bare. They slowly caressed each others skin, savouring every curve and muscle. From time to time he cried, holding her, whispering her name in her ear. His eyes glinting in the moonlight that seeped into the room, he whispered against her skin: "I feel like I am dreaming…" She smiled at him: "I am really here my love…. I am so sorry that you had to live your life without me…." she pressed her forehead against his. "It was only two months for me. Two months of knowing you were gone out of my life. It felt like dying all this time …."

He looked at her: "Two months?" suddenly she saw a spark of her old Tobirama: "Spoiled brat!"

She grinned at him: "Well, nobody can be so melodramatic as you! A lifetime of sorrow even over the boundaries of death and all…" she hit him on his shoulder.

"And the Uchiha brat?"

Sakura looked at him. "You must have sensed me from the moment I was back.. Did you?"

"I was there, I witnessed every … interaction…."

She felt colour hitting her cheeks. "That must have hurt… I am sorry… but there was no strategy behind any of it, no feelings. I was just cold."

"I am sorry…. Sakura….I was scared. I have missed you for a lifetime. I thought everything we had a dream. A distraction for you in your grief for your old world, grief for losing the Uchiha. I let fear control me."

He held her tight in his arms, breathing into her hair. He still sensed the other chakra signature, marvelling at the wondrous newness of that life inside of her. Instinctively he investigated it further. And then he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Twins?"

"Yes." she smiled brightly. "You better help me every step of the way Senju. I need someone to yell at and to hit when I deliver two children at the same time."

He laughed suddenly. A clear and happy sound, his head falling back into the cushions. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest: "Kami, onna, I have missed you!" and he kissed her roughly.

The tenderness made way to searing fiery passion. Their looks became dark and wanting. He growled when he took her sweating body, pressing into her with force until she moaned deliciously underneath him. He was amazed that he made it until she orgasmed, and seconds after her he came undone. Panting he held her. Listening to her gasps and after a while her breathing slowing down. He just felt her falling asleep and a deep satisfaction and peace crept over him. The last time he felt this, was the last day she was with him in his own time. The world after that seemed grey and cold. The only regret that he felt in that moment, was that Hashirama had not seen him recovering from her loss before he died.

Xxxxxxx

She woke up in his warmth, strong arms around her, steady breath and heartbeat. She smiled and slowly turned around in his arms. With her fingers she traced the red stripes on his face, his eyebrows, the small lines that were visible around his eyes and mouth.

Slowly he opened his eyes, smiling. He felt 10 years younger, while he stared at her mesmerized. He still couldn't believe it, that she really was here. And she was pregnant with his children. That was the most unbelievable thing of all. He never had children. The next generations of the village were the equivalent of having children when she was gone. He never cared for it because he could not have them with her. There were some women in the village who tried to win his heart, but his heart was broken and could only be mended by her.

He could not believe that it was possible. He would be a father. If only Hashirama could see him now! He would be choking on his most loud laughter smashing him on the shoulder, spoiling the brats to no end. He smiled at her, tracing the lines in her face in return.

"You look older. More like that stupid carved face in the rocks."

"I am older. I was older when you met me, but when you left I lasted for two decades. And then I got revived as well. So you are like a kid."

She frowned. "So only now I am truly married to the Nidaime! You cannot deny it now, no more: ' _Kunoichi, I have not earned that title yet_ ' shit." she stomped his arm.

His smile faltered a bit. "Sakura…. I am twenty years older now… are you not troubled by it?"

He looked adoringly shy voicing his insecurities and she couldn't help but smile: "Silly Senju. You know I like older men." He growled, pinching her ass, only satisfied when she shrieked, making his ears peep.

"But why and how are you here anyway? How is it possible? Will you disappear like me in time?" She felt fear choking her and she unconsciously gripped him tighter. He noticed her distress and smiled softly at her.

"I will not disappear. I was revived from the dead. Hagomoro made me into flesh and blood once more. So I am truly alive and will not disappear."

She sighed in his chest. And looked at him again whispering: "Tell me what happened?"

He told her everything that happened after she left the battlefield. Sakura listened with awe to the story of his ordeal and the endgame of Sasuke and Naruto. When he told her the reaction of Tsunade and his own explanation to why he was flesh and bone, she stomped him. "You baka. Why did you meddle with your own body! I cannot believe it! We discussed that endlessly and we agreed that there were some boundaries that you would not cross!"

He looked at her seriously. "Indeed. But then you disappeared. And I went quite mad for some time." He suddenly looked away, as if looking at her triggered the despair that he felt when she was gone from his life.

She slowly caressed the side of his face, trying to get him to face her. "Tobi, don't run from those memories…. It was you who told me that it is good to relive memories, because they will become less unbearable."

He slowly looked at her, eyes full of tears. And then he broke down for the second time, softly crying in her arms. She held him and tried to whisper comforting words into his ears. And when he calmed down he whispered in her ear: "I went mad when you were gone. I gave up on life. Hashirama found me almost gone deep in the forest. He saved me against my will and nurtured me back to the land of living. If it wasn't for him, I would have died. I am so sorry, Sakura, I could not stay strong, Sakura, I just could not live without you. I was so weak!"

She held him and cried as well: "You are not weak. You have to be strong to be able to love so deeply. And we are here now. That is all that matters. We are here now and two lives depend on us."


	24. Chapter 24

**I am terribly sorry for taking so long to update this story and write the epilogue. It is a short one I'm afraid. It has been an amazing journey with all of you. thank you again for all the reviews and constructive feedback! I have been feeling so very flattered that you all enjoyed my story and took the time to send me reviews! Hopefully we meet again. Next up is a mada x saku story. Lets see if I can do justice to the uchiha's :)**

Epilogue

She stared at the green door. One of the lights on the ceiling flickered occasionally, irritating her to no end. The wood of the bench was hard and unyielding. The meeting was taking so long, he was gone for an hour already and still he did not appear. Nervously she fumbled with the slips of her red dress. What was there to discuss? It was a simple notification, surely, and a private matter.

After two hours a summoning went out, for all shinobi to assemble on the square in front of the Hokage tower. She felt severely confused. Still looking at the door she reluctantly walked down the hallway behind the ANBU operative that lead her away.

Why was she summoned with the rest of the shinobi? She stood on the side, avoiding familiar faces, her emotions in turmoil. When Kakashi appeared in his official robes and Tobirama followed suit, wearing his full battle armour, happuri in place, looking as stoic as ever, she felt a familiar stir of anger. A hush travelled through the crowd, a sound of surprise and awe at the sight of their former legendary Hokage, alive and well in their midsts.

Kakashi raised his hand to demand silence and made an announcement. She listened stunned, hearing the words without understanding the meaning.

She tried to understand when Kakashi was finished. So, the former Nidaime Hokage was now in fact a permanent resident of Konoha and appointed as Head of the Intelligence Division, including the remaining ROOT agents, now that Danzo was gone.

She blinked, the message slowly sinking in. She noticed Naruto in the crowd, he was looking at her in concern, which triggered more irritation which in turn seemed to fuel her anger. What was happening here? He went to discuss their marriage and his future stay in Konoha, but instead he applied for the most demanding job of the village? She felt the familiar rize of anger increasing, her nostrils flaring at his idiotic action.

Impatiently she waited until only she, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi were left. Since they all knew about their relationship, she felt free to stomp up to her husband tell him exactly what she thought of the situation. Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke flinched, and with each harsh word paled further. How could she talk so respectless to an elder?

But Tobirama listened without flinching, his arms crossed over his chest and there was amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Are you done?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the shocked reaction of her team.

She hmpfd at him, crossing her arms herself, mimicking him.

"Explain yourself then, you baka!"

"I have informed the Elders of our marriage and our wish to marry again in this timeframe. They were very … inquisitive and difficult."

"But .. how DARE they!" she fumed at him again.

"I am of noble blood Sakura. I am the brother of the founder of Konoha, second in line to the Senju clan. I was the Nidaime Hokage. To marry a civilian born shinobi is not a decision that I can make on my own, no matter what her accomplishments in war or other fields. They were angry that they could not meddle with my choice, since our marriage is a done deal and you are carrying my children. So out of spite they wanted to meddle with something else."

"But as Head of Intelligence…"

He cupped her cheek. "I know, it will be very busy. But I only agreed to take up the position for a period of two years. After which I can retire, or resume said position."

She shut her mouth. His words seemed to make sence. But she was still mad.

Behind them she heard Naruto stammering. "Sakura-chan, are you… pregnant?"

She glared at him, waving her fist threateningly, which made him shut up immediately.

Tobirama assessed his wife and turned towards Kakashi. "Kakashi-san, we will be heading home now. I will start this new position in one week time." Without waiting for an answer, he wrapped his arm around her waist and used hiraishin to take them home.

Standing in their quarters, he cupped her cheek. He dropped his official facade instantly, his eyes softened and his face apologetic. He said softly. "Sakura, please, do not be angry. It is only temporary and to be honest, I feel glad to be of service to Konoha once again. I cannot abandon my feeling of responsibility that easily. This was the best deal to get."

She sighed. "I know. It is just frustrating and sudden." She stared into his eyes, suddenly tired of being angry she pressed her lips onto his and kissed him with passion. He was only too happy to give in.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The metal bar on the headboard of the bed crumpled like paper under her grip while another contraction swept over her. She gritted her teeth, trying to breathe through the pain, but failing. It was almost too much to bare. She seemed helpless against this extreme force of nature that had her body in a painful and all consuming hold. Panicking, she felt like drowning in every wave of pain that crashed into her and over her.

She hardly noticed the commotion in the hallway. There was shouting and a door slammed and then suddenly Tobirama stood in the delivery room, looking livid. A scrawny nurse stood behind him wringing her hands: "Please, Nidaime-sama, this is not proper! You have to wait in the waiting room!"

He ignored her and strode towards Sakura with determination. He pried her fingers of the metal bar. She felt the callousness of his hands in the distant of her mind. "Tobi….. I can't….. I cannot do this.." she screamed when another wave crashed into her.

His voice was steady and cool against her skin: "You can kunoichi. You can do this. Just breathe through this pain with me."

She screamed again, fighting to hold herself together, riding another wave of pain.

"You can do this Sakura."

The nurse at the end of the bed, looked up at the couple and said with a satisfied smile. "I believe you are ready to push now, Sakura-sama. They are on their way."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Half an hour later, she held her son on her stomach, revelling at the miracle of life. His hair was white, his eyes still closed and probably blue as all newborns. With the instincts of every new born baby, Hikari had found her breast with ease, and was sucking softly. The nurse was still stitching her up, a distracting activity and she felt her legs shaking.

When it was done, a warm blanket was draped over her by another nurse and she felt as if she could finally relax. Tobirama sat next to her, silently holding his daughter, his shoulders shaking while he cried. She felt her own tears flowing at the sight of her stoic warrior crying over the birth of his children. After a while he asked.

"What did you name her again?"

"Ayane."

He did not hide his tears and she valued this moment like no other in her life. He slowly stood with the tiny body of Ayane in his arms and looked down on his wife and his son. And she smiled, for life seemed finally complete now.


End file.
